Counterparts
by bauoumi
Summary: The two halves that make Garnet whole and who she is didn't always know how to have and be a perfect conversation. It took thousands of years, a long story by which nobody fully understood or even knew about, for that matter. Until a small and curious little universe came into the world, that is. This is that story, as told by the patient and passionate counterparts. *T for Lang.*
1. Prologue-Birthday - Part 1

**Hey! So this fanfic if mainly going to circle around Ruby and Sapphire, my take on their history together, various stories, etc;**

 **This chapter takes place a couple months after the events of Steven Bomb 3.0, so if you aren't up to date with the episodes, not sure if you should read until you catch up, because i'll be posting more as new episodes come along with any new information on Garnet, Rube Cube and Laughy Sapphy, and the history of the gems too**

 **If you want to hear more info about this one and other fanfics I plan to work on, you can follow my tumblr (same as my username) Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Steven universe or it's characters; All credits and ownership of the characters and show go to Rebecca Sugar**

* * *

A bright light glowed in the stone-encrusted wing of Steven's home, out of which Pearl crept, trying her hardest to be quiet. Which-didn't last for long, thanks to Amethyst's appearance from within the temple.

"Pearl what are you doing" she questioned, in what anyone might call an outdoor voice, which, to Pearl, was pretty much screaming;

"Amethyst keep your voice down!" Pearl whispered through gritted teeth.

"Ugh you're such a nag. You didn't even answer my question" Amethyst scoffed, leaning against the counter, toying with empty balloons and the end of a streamer roll

"I'm getting everything ready for Steven's surprise birthday party...which almost became just a birthday party, thanks to you. You're lucky he's a heavy sleeper"

Amethyst ignored the gem's snide remark and climbed the staircase leading to a snoring Steven, who's face and pillow were wet with drool

"Heh-Same." she muttered, ruffling the birthday boy's hair and watching Pearl set up streamers while darting around as if she were reciting a ballet routine.

"Why'd you start so early? Steven won't be up until later, and the sun hasn't even come up yet" Amethyst yawned, while shuffling through the fridge.

"I'd rather not take any chances of him waking up too early."

Pearl stopped her work to watch her teammate eat, causing a shudder to creep up her spine in horror.

"Instead of indulging in such a disgusting habit, why don't you help me get this set up?"

Amethyst finished her plate of...whatever it was that she compiled together, and started to blow up balloons without protest as the temple door opened again.

"Hey Garnet" Amethyst nodded happily, to which Garnet nodded back.

Quietly she lended a hand, not muttering a word. Which, wasn't unusual for the fusion, but still seemed off for a reason the other gems couldn't quite place.

As Pearl and Amethyst mouthed to each other from across the room, wondering what was the matter, Garnet broke the silence.

"He's gonna be up soon" she whispered, not deterring from her work "And everything's fine, since you were both wondering".

The other Gems stood in a mixture of awe and embarrassment at the fusions ever-impressive skill, as the aforementioned smiled and walked towards Steven's closet; revealing a box filled with dirtied clown-wear and an innocently named "birthday suit".  
The gem's quickly finished preparations in time just as Steven began to stir from sleep, acknowledging the perfection of the decorated living space; Garnet slowly picked up the birthday boy to dress him in his occasion wear, crown and all, before the gems yelled in unison;

"Happy Birthday Steven!"

"Huh? What?" the boy questioned, confused and a bit startled.

The fusion set him down at the bottom of the Staircase, allowing him a moment to wake up properly

"Oh my gosh; It's my birthday!" he beamed after being put down, running towards the counter to glance up at a cake decorated with a caricature of himself

"It's just how you like it" Pearl confidently noted, sing-songily

"The drawing was my idea" Amethyst boasted, pointing towards the sloppily written A at the bottom, to which Pearl rolled her eyes due to her lack of recognition

"Thank you so much you guys!" Steven said, rounding the gems together for a group hug

The smallest of the group looked up at Garnet, expectant of a response after having realized she hadn't said a thing since he woke up.

"What's your first move, King of Birthdays?" the fusion asked through a smile

"Hmmm...perhaps cake, then presents?" the now properly titled birthday boy said in his most prestige accent, fit for a king.

"Way ahead of you dude" Amethyst hollered through chunks of cake filling her mouth as quickly as she could pile them in

"Amethyst! I told you not to eat until Steven got the first piece!" Pearl Face palmed "Ugh, good thing I made a spare, I knew you would do this"

"What? you can't make two and not expect me to have one for myself!" The messy gem complained, flinging cake at the walls as she lifted her arms in the air as an act of protest and annoyance "Plus, I practically made it myself anyway, which means I get to have some too"

"Quit making messes, Amethyst!" The perfectionist squawked

Through the ruckus, the small boy stood laughing at the all too normal banter he saw between his friends

Garnet leaned down in silence and turned Steven away from the bickering duo and towards her instead

"While Pearl gets your new cake ready, why not open some presents while you wait?" She smirked

"Hmm...yes, a fine course of action Garnet, thank you" Steven said, jumping back into his roll of a birthday king

"This way, your highness" she said, leading her happy companion over to what seemed to him like a mountain of gifts, to which he stared at starry eyed

"Go on then" the fusion chuckled, watching as the wrapping paper Pearl wove perfectly over the boxes just hours before went flying through the air

"Woah! A limited edition MC-Bear-Bear! How'd you guys find this!" Steven gasped in amazement while lifting his gift into the air for display "He's even got the ultra-rare gold shoes and matching hat!"

After a few more gifts had been freed of their wrappings, of which were carefully plucked off of the ground and into trash bags by Pearl, Steven stood to review everything he had received.

"I can't believe this you guys! Thank you so so SO much!" he gleefully cheered as Amethyst began to carry his new unscathed cake toward the coffee table.

"Steven" Garnet stoically said "I think you forgot one"

"Huh?" he said, embarrassed and confused "I thought I got them all...", looking under the table for any he might have missed

As he glanced, inches from the floor, a bright light glowed above him, causing Pearl and Amethyst to gasp

Steven turned his head to the source only to find the feet of one blue and red gem

"Oh my gosh! Ruby, Sapphire I-Ow!" he yelped, hitting his head on the underside of the table

"Steven!" Ruby and Sapphire gasped in unison, leaning down to assist him

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, lifting him up

"Yeah, I'm fine" he said, rubbing the knot in his head "WAIT" he gasped "I can't believe you're both here!" he yelled with stars in his eyes, hugging the two

Sapphire giggled in response "We told you we were planning to unfuse for your birthday, didn't we?"

"Well, technically it wasn't us, it was Garnet" Ruby noted

"Pft" her counter part sounded, flicking the red gem's nose playfully "That doesn't matter, we're here now and hopefully..." The blue gem paused to move her bangs away from her hidden eye "We'll help Steven have a wonderful birthday" she smiled widely "Right guys?" she said with an aggressive expression, directed at the two previously bickering gems

"Uh..Right" Pearl said bashfully, escaping her trance of awe after not having seen the two halves that make up her teammate split up in many years, to light the candles on Steven's cake

All the gems sat on the couch to begin singing the ritualistic human-accustomed birthday song when they were interrupted by the sound of rusted hinges

"Happy Birthday Steven!" Greg and Connie shouted, bursting through the screen door, releasing confetti into the air and blowing on kazoos;adorned with pointed birthday hats, carrying presents and balloons in hand.

"Uhhh-Oh. Hey, guys" Greg said awkwardly, rubbing the hair towards the back of his head after noticing the unannounced appearance of the separated fusion

"Oh my gosh!" Connie yelped, running towards the gems seating area and sitting on the floor of the vacant side of the coffee table across from Steven, who was seated in between the red and blue gem's she'd heard about and had been dying to meet.

"You must be Ruby and Sapphire! It's so great to finally meet you! Oh, and happy birthday Steven!" she quickly said, getting up temporarily to hug Steven with Greg, and tie a balloon to his wrist

"Hey you two" Pearl said welcomingly "We were just about to have Steven blow out his candles"

"Sup" The purple gem muttered with her feet resting on the table (That were quickly pushed off by Pearl seconds later)

"I was wondering when you would arrive" Sapphire said, getting up to place Steven's newly arrived gifts on the counter

"Good thing you got here when you did because I don't think any of us know that birthday song we're supposed to sing" Said Ruby "I know Sapphire and Pearl have memorized it but I can guarantee me and Amethyst are gonna be lost"

"Heh, she's right" The latter agreed.

"Cake time!" Steven cheered, ready to party now that everyone of his guests had come to join in the celebration

Sapphire joined the group once more, As did Greg and Connie as everyone took their seats around the cake, which was now illuminating the suddenly dark room.

Everyone sang the song in unison, luckily without any mess-ups on the rowdier of the gem's sides; while the elated birthday boy sat awaiting his moment to come to make a wish

"Happy Birthday, Steven!" Everyone applauded as he blew out his candles, Sapphire kissing his cheek and Ruby ruffling his hair and nudging him playfully; a perfect combination of what his fusion teammate would have done had she been put together at the moment. Yet, even though Steven adored his "square mom", it was incredibly fun and exciting to have the two halves that make her up around for an occasion that he could enjoy, and not like the times of anger and conflict that they usually separated for. So far, everything was coming together perfectly on his special day.

* * *

 **Part two coming within a couple days, hopefully this minor writers block on where to go after this will clear up soon!**

 **-B**


	2. Prologue-Birthday - Part 2

**So this second part leads into the** _ **actual**_ **plot and story, this two part chapter was kind of just a vague prologue sort of thing to set the scene of story telling, so it's really boring; Trust me, it'll get better after this!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Steven universe or it's characters; All credits and ownership of the characters and show go to Rebecca Sugar**

* * *

After the consumption of the cake (mostly on Amethysts part..again, as expected) and opening of the birthday boy's new gifts, Steven sat in the middle of the warp pad as the Pearl ran him through the day's scheduled activities; And, of course, Pearl handed everyone an itinerary so nothing would go aray, much to Amethyst and Ruby's distaste.

"So Steven, first you'll be headed to fun-land with your father and Connie from 10 to 1:30, then eating at Fish Stew Pizza for lunch with Amethyst, as per her request from 1:35 to 2:00, to which you'll head to the Arcade with Sour Creme, Buck Dewey, and Jenny Pizza, since they asked if you were free, I added them onto the schedule for half an hour and-"

"Pearl, are you really timing us? Why can't we just go around and let Steven just go back and forth when he wants?" Sapphire stoically questioned.

"I like that idea! But...you know, I like yours too Pearl; but theres no rush, heck, lets make it a whole week of Steven!" the birthday king said, standing up tall on the warp pad, raising his hands up in excitement.

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves, Steven..." Pearl said through a poorly veiled sigh

"Lets go!" the boy, yelled almost as a charge call, leading everyone onto the beach, with a slightly annoyed Pearl struggling to get back to the front of the group as they left to venture about the city.

* * *

Most of the morning _was_ spent at funland, as Pearl had planned; only, not just with Greg and Connie, but with everyone else tagging along as well.

Every ride had been ridden, every funnel cake happily eaten (and promptly thrown up on the teacups) and every arcade game played.

Sadly, Connie and Greg couldn't stay for all of the day like Steven had hoped, Connie needing to attend tennis practice and Greg to go back to work at the car wash after bringing Connie home (Which was needed, seeing as every expense for his son's birthday was payed for by him; since its not like the gems have jobs themselves).

But, as promised, the day continued with beach play, a game of volleyball (to make up for the game ruined by a puffer fish months before) and a quaint barbecue back at the temple; to which helped Steven discover that Ruby was the one who found interest in eating, like Amethyst; whereas Sapphire was more keen to drinks than any actual food, more-so like Pearl.

The boy loved every minute he got to know the two gems he had barely a clue about; he couldn't get enough.

As the day seemed like it could be nearing it's close, Steven's curiosity grew in regards to the stories behind the red and blue gems

"Ruby, Sapphire, can I ask you something?" He finally asked

The two gems stared at one another and then back at the boy "Sure, what is it?"

"Well, like, how did you guys meet?"

"Hmm..that's a _long_ story, buddy" Ruby said, giggling alongside Sapphire

"No, really, I want to know!" he begged "Please oh please tell me!"

"Alright, sit, sit" Sapphire said guiding the two over to a beach blanket, to where Steven promptly plopped down onto his stomach, put his facein his hands and yelled "Story for Steven!"

"Man, where do we even start..." Ruby said facing her other half with a wide grin


	3. Weaponized

**So nobody gets lost as I change perspectives from Narrative to Ruby's to Sapphires, I'll have line breaks in between and have the letters N/R/S bolded so you know which perspective and of whom is in play; This chapter in particular will be in Sapphire's POV.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Steven universe or it's characters; All credits and ownership of the characters and show go to Rebecca Sugar**

* * *

 _ **S:**_ Living on homeworld, my future vision was seen as a tool, a weapon, and an asset. That's all my purpose was, it felt like; to tell the authorities and the combaters what was in store for gemkind, for our planet, for missions, yada-yada-yada.  
They didn't understand that what I could see was nothing of certainty, that it was all chance, probability, based and biased on actions, and their repercussions. I could never give solid predictions of the future; Nothing was set in stone. But, despite my attempts to tell anyone that, the Authorities refused to listen, sending me from planet to planet to assist in "guiding" leaders and their armies towards good and fertile land for the building of Kindergartens and towards the defeat of the rebels that tried to stop their rampage of destruction.

I know what homeworld was doing was wrong, but what choice did I have? If I didn't offer my "tool" to them, the punishment is...not pretty, to say the least.

 _Traveling across the galaxy, trapped and enclosed like an inmate, is all I've ever known since the day I even came to be. It wasn't the life I wanted, but I was stuck in the one I had. Sure they treated me like royalty because of my gem and my service, but I didn't feel like it. I felt exactly like the weapon homeworld wanted me to be._

* * *

The corridors on the new ships felt long and endless, like I was walking through a void that only led to more tiled walls and vacant rooms. It felt like I'd been walking for light years when I finally reached the check-in point at the control bridge.  
I walked into the room and stood in awe at the sight of the space, vast with machines, control panels and screens adorned on the walls beside an enormous window; that would allow the pilots and technicians a front row view of the cosmos as they raced through the galaxy.

As I stepped further in, no rustle of presence was to be heard; _maybe I was in the wrong place? Why was there no one present to check me in?_

A chair turned suddenly, revealing the familiar face of a Pearl by which usually traveled on the same ships as me from planet-to-planet. (Which made me then notice the tops of the heads of other Pearls, of which, for some reason, I hadn't seen beforehand) But, she was dressed, however, much differently than I had ever seen her previously. _New ship, new look_ ; I suppose that went for the crew as well;  
She wore a long sleeved white jumpsuit with the colors of the diamond authority within the lines that marked the outfit, lines that crossed the outfit looking like a maze; the symbol of the diamonds branded on the chest. Her pale orange locks, usually in a cone shaped manner, the ends meeting behind her head, this time cut into a short, slick bob that didn't extend far from her face; small curls framing her gem and cheeks. Her expression and demeanor was as vivacious and lively as ever.

"Ah, S243, It's good to see you!" The pearl noted, clicking a pen and checking off something off on a clipboard "Isn't the new ship just grand?" she beamed

"Oh, yes, its lovely, and seems quite large as well; I almost couldn't find my way here."

"Well, we'll have a guide and guard assigned to you before we take off, though it might be a while since most of the passengers traveling with us wont be here for a couple of hours. You're the first to check in, actually. Being on time is something I respect of you, 243" She smiled.

"Oh...no wonder it seemed so empty in here. I was told to be here at this time I-"

"No worries, I can take a moments pause from preparations to show you around and to your quarters; If you'll follow me!"

The Pearl seemed unusually sing-songy for someone of her class, built to be composed, expressionless, and to have the utmost prestige mannerisms; I liked her for that. she was easy to talk to, and seeing as Sapphires were supposed to act similar to the Pearls, besides which roles by which they played, I enjoyed seeing someone else not completely fitting the bill of their gem...though, I couldn't help but wonder how a Diamond might see her...

She twirled once and began down a long hallway, stopping once she reached a circular opening, branching off into several _more_ hallways. She stood for a moment, looking and shuffling through the papers attached to her clipboard; before projecting a hologram of the ship to identify where she planned for us to go.

"Ah, yes, just this way." the hologram dispersed and she began once more down the widest of the corridors, which opened up unto a large atrium built 4 stories tall; In the middle stood a twisting crystal staircase that winded up into bridges that led to doors, of which I assumed were rooms. To the left and right were statues of the diamond authorities of which I've already been familiarized with. Though, one of the four stood out, as the character, branded with the symbol of pink, was the only one I had never met the acquaintance of.

The statue stood 9 feet tall, her body shapely in comparison to the slim models of the others. The hair of her was curled in every direction, framing her face, and stopping above her shoulders; it was, despite its curl, shaped in a pointed fashion like the other diamonds. She wore nearly the same dress as the others, hers a bit more detailed and, in my opinion, pleasant and unique. The shoulders of the half cut shirt jutted out horizontally, pointing at the ends. The shirt making a V-Shape on her chest and inverted the opposite direction on the stomach, forming a diamond of skin around the gem centered in her abdomen, of which had a silver ring protecting it. A ruffled cape draped her body, it making yet another V-Shape; the bottom section of her top article of clothing ruffled at the end, and jutting out slightly to make her already wide hips appear wider; the several layers of fabric stopped around the middle of her thigh, the rest of her legs covered in lace stocking. She wore tall heels embellished with small diamonds, making her stand taller than the rest of the statues, despite her already towering height to begin with.

Made me kind of wish I had made my wear a bit more detailed and not as simple as the dress I had come to wear for nearly and entire century.

A small chirp came from the Pearl, causing her eyes to gloss over with a hologram projection. Once it faded, she addressed her clipboard once more and spoke

"Your room will be the first one on floor three, room 300." she was still looking at her papers as she handed me a small, glistening key

"I wanted to show you around the ship, but the passengers have begun to arrive, so I must return to the control bridge. I'll send for you once you've been assigned an escort, okay? If you need anything, there's a communication device that will alert a servant to assist you. See you in a bit!" She said, patting my shoulder and darting off back from whence we had come.

I looked around the atrium, which sparkled in an opaque crystallized pink hue; I started up the spiral stairs to the third floor which led directly to room three hundred.

The key lifted from my hand and floated into the lock, opening the solid white marbled door. The room was the same color as the atrium at first, but turned to a dark blue color that matched myself after a robotic voice spoke from within

" _Welcome aboard the Atlantic Star, Sapphire, 243; Trip to celestial body 9COM48, Also known as EARTH, will commence in exactly 2 HOURS. For more details please address your guidebook. Safe travels._ "; and with that the voice was gone.

I looked down onto a small table to find the booklet mentioned. The first page held all the details of the journey, with the ones of my mission having been written in the handwriting of the familiar Pearl on the pages following

" _Planet EARTH [9COM48]: Deemed 4.542 Billion years of age; Objective- Kindergarten placement and usage / Inhabitants- N/A / Travel time to reach EARTH; 24 Months EARTH rotation time; 12 MONTHS Homeworld time"_

I cringed at the sadly familiar word and knowledge of exactly what the kindergartens were, and at the fate I saw resting for the young planet.

 _"Mission Objective for SAPPHIRE-243; Report to WHITE and PINK Diamond IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEBOARDING"_

 _Why so urgent?_ I wondered. At most I'd been asked to come to meetings within the first few days of arrival on planet, but _immediately_?

Something wasn't right about this mission. This trip wasn't like the others. But I couldn't understand _why..._ until the throbbing, all too recognizable pain began in the back of my head...

* * *

 **I added new chapters much faster than I thought I would/could have! I said in the 1st part of the prologue that it would be a couple days but even I was wrong!**

 **The next chapter will be Ruby's perspective; They'll pretty much alternate between the two every other chapter.**

 **-B**


	4. New Territory

**So I changed a couple details from "Weaponized", just little things that'll allow me to bring the story and the characters together much much smoother, and so that it conforms to my new ideas and plans for this fic.**  
 **A couple of my ideas are slightly influenced by the SU fandom and community on tumblr, so shoutout to this rad-band-of-sentient-rock-loving-trash.**  
 _ **And if it hasn't been noticed previously as well, I throw in quotes that have actually been said by certain characters on the show, and put them into different contexts and will continue to, so keep your eye out!  
**_ **Anyways, This is Ruby's POV, and takes place around the time of the end of last chapter when Sapphire was settling into her room.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Steven universe or it's characters; All credits and ownership of the characters and show go to Rebecca Suga r**

* * *

 _ **R**_ **-** Homeworld army gems weren't known for traveling off planet like this. If fighters were needed, commanders would simply call for troops from kindergarten gem-controlled planets. It wasn't normal for myself and nearly half of the armies from home to be transported like this. It made me wonder...

 _What's happening on this new planet that makes it any different than the others? Why did homeworld need so much force all of a sudden?_

 _Was homeworld losing some kind of fight?_

* * *

It was strange to be stepping onto a ship, especially knowing it was going to take me across the galaxy to who knows where. Sure i'd seen the ships before but I'd never been on one myself. It was...it was just weird, to say the least.

Life here was just stale now, no wars were happening that included my sector, so the armies would just stand around, training, fighting amongst themselves, or playing games day and night; it's been like that for nearly a thousand years. And, me being just that age, add on a couple of decades, I never got to be involved in the actual fighting I was created to do. And now, finally, I was going to see some action. All I'd ever known was to be combative; I was ready to live up to my purpose.

I walked down the hallways that were stirring with the activity of gems signing in, finding their quarters, and exploring the ship. My group, 508, came a _little_ later than we were supposed to; but who cared. As long as we got here before the ship took off, nobody batted an eye.

My teammate, Amber, was still clearly annoyed with being late, nonetheless; which meant of course that we would have to wait in line for what she claimed to "feel like eternity"...she isn't the most patient of gems, but, I can't blame her; neither am I, quite honestly.

Since she led our rag-tag group, we got the backhand of her annoyance;

"Ugh I told you guys this was going to happen; Why does nobody listen to me anymore?!" she scoffed, throwing her hands into the air and then prompty crossing them while tapping her foot.

She stood slightly taller than me, but not by much. She was short for a commander. Her burnt-orange hair crossed over one of her eyes and then met behind her back in a ribbon to hold all of her long locks together. She wore a sleeveless shirt that was cut short at the abdomen, a pair of shorts and tall boots that ran up most of her calves, the symbol of the diamond authority branded on the sides of her shorts and back of her top; her clothes matching the color of her hair to contrast her lighter orange skin.

"A, chill; we're almost at the front of the line anyway." I said, looking around the group ahead of us to see the check in gem.

"Ruby, you can't call me _A_ here, I already told you that. I'm a commander, in case you forgot"; Even though she was angry, every time she spoke was amusing to me; she had an accent in her words that a lot of people from our sector had, but was rare outside of our group; No "R's" were pronounced, "A's" made the sound of "Uh" or "Aye", and "O's" were deep, said like "Ouah". Which was my only way of describing it to people who hadn't heard her talk for themselves. It made her sound aggresive, like she meant buisiness. Which, she did. She took her job seriously, but was still rowdy and goofy like the rest of us; _that_ she couldn't deny.  
She could put on a fake persona of someone calm and serious like most commanders all she wanted, but when she was away from the gems of power and royalty, she was just like any other warrior gem out there.

Amber had trained and guided me for as long as I could rememer, so she was closer to me than she was with any of the others. Which, saved my life on more than one occasion. She always called me her trouble maker; and, she wasn't wrong. When you don't play a part in any homeworld battles, you cause mischief to keep yourself busy. It's what you do. Its not like I was the _only_ trouble maker around. I actually consider myself better behaved than most...

After a little while passed, our group finally made it to the Pearl checking everyone in, sending them off with a double of herself to lead them to their room.

She was dressed different than the other pearls, wearing a jumpsuit of some sort; the rest of the duplicates wearing large, white coats with collars going up most of the length of their necks, the diamond symbol in the dead center of their chest. They wore white boots that clicked with every step they took, all of them with expressionless faces surrounded by curling peach hair, pulled together at the top of their heads into a neat bun. They looked exactly like the drones they were created to be; identical, lifeless and obidient...Well, except for this Pearl. She wasn't like them, from what I could tell.

"Ah! CDR Amber, Yes?" the Pearl said, looking down at Amber and shaking her hand

"Yeah, sorry about our tardiness" Amber apologized, rubbing the back of her head and smiling bashfully

"Nonsense, your troops are here now and thats all that matters. Allow me to personally show you to your barracks, and you to your room in the Atrium; this way, everyone!" She said, sing-songy; skipping down the hall and maneuvering past other gems getting settled into their quarters and lounging about the halls.

The barracks room we found just a little ways away was a long room, the crystal walls in an array of warm colors to represent the scheme of the warrior gems. Though gem's didn't need to sleep, warriors found it relaxing and fun, so beds were made available to those who wanted to indulge. The rest of the room filled with various items like punching bags and instruments; seeing as many of us had become skilled in the art of music and singing in our off times. It was nice to know that homeworld didn't treat warriors like _total_ garbage...

"And Amber, this way to _your_ quarters." The Pearl guided, glancing at the troop before promptly beginning to make her way to another section of the ship

"A...I-I mean, Commander, can I tag along with you?" I asked; I usually stuck to her like glue, and wasn't too friendly with too many of my troop-mates, since most of them were relatively new or came from different sectors. The only gem besides Amber that I was fairly comfortable with was Tiger's Eye, but everyone called her T; we had a thing for first letters of gem's names.

"Oh, I don't see why not." she said ruffling my block of hair "is it alright for my comrade to come with me?" she asked the servant

"Oh, why yes, I think that would be fine." she questionably answered, looking at me with a scrunched face.  
Which annoyed me of course; All the royal and pristine gems look at the fighter gems as dirty and beneath them; Apparently, even the servants did. Go figure.

"Hey, T! You wanna join?" A called, her accent becoming thicker as her voice rose

"Just a sec!" Tiger called out before strutting over

She was one of the tallest gems in our posse, standing at least the height of two of those Pearls stacked on top of one another. She had light yellow hair that came down to her shoulders on the sides of her cheeks, with raised bangs hanging above her forehead, the remainder of her locks pulled into a tail-like fashion towards the top of her head. Her skin was striped of a pale orange and a deeper, much darker version of the color. She wore a tight top that ended in the middle of her wide hips; Underneath was a red shirt that came up most of her neck, the color of it matching her leggings, and contrasting her orange top, with a yellow collar and mid-section, matching her slim boots; and finally with her gem sitting on the middle of her forearm, surrounded by a red cloth she wrapped around it, with a hole cut out to expose the orange rock; a diamond symbol branded at her chest and on her boots.  
T either looked ghastly intimidating or comely and sweet; With burnt-orange-dyed irises, and a wide mouth full of sharp teeth made her look pretty damn scary, quite honestly. But when she spoke, her nicer side could come out with her accent matching A's, hers a bit softer in nature. Either way, she was still an arrant, audacious gem like the rest of us.

Along with Amber, I pretty much "grew up" with T; in the sense as well that she was the one who trained most of the new warrior gems. But she was more than a teacher to me; she felt like kin, not just a teammate.

"Oh...alright, this way." The pearl noted before walking off slowly, clearly intimidated as well by the gem that stood towering over her

We made our way to the spiraling stairway in the middle of a large, open section of the ship; of which was clearly to house the " _more important"_ gems like the royals and the leaders, before the Pearl stopped and spoke of an epiphany;

"Oh! Amber, Pink Diamond said that she wanted for you to keep an eye out for a special passenger of ours; At the time, the gem doesn't seem to want or need much guarding or guiding, but she just wanted to make sure you were there in case anything were to go awry for the gem, would that be alright?" She asked, turning and leaning downward to Amber

"Oh sure! That's no problem. Where is this special one at exactly?" Amber answered back happily; a bit more excited about having to take care of some royal than she should be, in my opinion.

"She'll be exactly two floors above you and across the way, Room 300, preciesly." She guided by showing a hologram projected from her forehead while handing Amber a crystal door key "Now, this gem is of high importance and priority, so she's to be kept safe at all costs, and made sure to be attended to if needed, okay?"

"Sure thing, thanks for your help" Amber said contently, looking at the key and waving goodbye to the servant as she disapeared into a large room on the bottom floor, that had gigantic, slow opening pink, crystal doors.

"Why are you so happy about having to watch some regal, A?" I complained, trying to convey my annoyance for A's new job as _babysitter_ unto her and T

"Ugh, Ruby get over yourself; you can't just automatically hate _all_ royals without even seeing their damn face." T cringed, patronizing me. She tried to be nice to everyone, but failed to realize not everyone was worth being nice _to._

"I'm just saying, you're a commander, a leader; not a princess-keeper" I muttered, crossing my arms

"Ruby, seriously. Drop it." Amber said,harshly; pointing at me, lingering for a moment before she made her way towards the "important" gem's room

"Whatever, Im going back to the barracks. Have fun with your _oh-so-special_ little gem!" I mocked through gritted teeth, waving my hands sarcastically

"Go ahead and have your little tantrum, Ruby. We can hang out again when you stop being such a sad sack." T said, flicking her wrist my direction beforre turning to follow Amber.

I groaned angerly, stomping back to the room

 _Fine. Don't listen to me. Not like you ever do anyway_

* * *

 **When it comes to Amber and Tiger's accents, I tried my best to describe the Boston idiom, so just think of that as their voices, it adds a lot of depth to their character in my opinion.**

 **Hope everyone's enjoying the fic so far, I'll try to write another chapter and have it uploaded by tomorrow, now that I've planned everything out;**

 **Stay tuned!**

 **-B**


	5. Set in Stone

**So I went back into the previous chapter and changed little bits of information, like how long Ruby's existed (was a decade, is now 1000+ years; big change) So that I can elongate the time span over which this fic happens, because, to quote Garnet, "Love takes time and love takes work", which is my main focal point.**

 **And, like most everyone else, it can be said that Ruby and Sapphire didn't exactly get along when they first met.**

 **I like to think that sometimes, even when people butt-heads for a long time, their relationship can still blossom into something beautiful..or, not so beautiful, in some cases.**

 **Anyway, I'd like to say that a lot of the ideas, that'll be represented in my own way, are inspired by the SU tumblr fandom, and it's because i love those ideas so much that I want to be able to put them into my own story and into my own words, of course, mixing it up in my own way as well. But yes, inspiration flows from the many polymorphic sentient rock lovers out there. Thing's are about to get interesting, I promise**

 **(Also, sorry if the quality of this chapter is poor, I typed up some 3000+ words, saved it, then went to upload it, only to find that it was empty for some reason? Windows 8 is weird. Anyways, I'll do my best to make this second attempt better than my first!)**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Steven Universe or it's characters; All rightful credit for the show and its content goes to the Producer, Rebecca Sugar, and the Broadcaster, Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **S** \- The visions weren't ever like this before._

 _Whenever future visions cloud my mind, its like i'm sent into another dimension. Reality, just brushed to the side as movies, feelings, scenes and images scatter and bounce around in my brain._

 _It's hard to explain them, really._

 _They can be awful, consuming, horrific and traumatizing. But, sometimes, they're harmless, just possible futures, nothing more._ _Very rarely were they so...passionate. So alive, and vivid._ _They didn't even feel like visions this time, they felt...like they were already reality..._

 _When it came to how i reacted in the real world while i was away in my own, differed on the intensity and content of the cacophonies happening inside my head; If they were paths and options, something simple and calm, i would go stiff, unfeeling and silent._

 _But, when they were overpowering, I could go limp, slumping to the ground, or burst out into a rage of ice and horrific screams, sending me into a fury that I couldn't stop unless I escaped my state of entrancement, or was subdued by the guards that usually watched over me._

 _Despite my having these powers since the beginning of my very existence, I still don't fully understand them. How they work, how to control them...it's all still beyond me. Sure, I had trained myself to produce them in a few instances in order to give information to the Diamonds when they demanded it, but most of the time I couldn't create them on my own. They came about through the retrieval of new information, a monumental event taking place, impending danger or doom, or just the need for options and finding solutions to things._

 _I could still get lost, disoriented, confused, etc; but still, I usually did get the information I needed to succeed in most cases, luckily. But there were times when I needed my foresight, and it wasn't there to assist me. It was like the visions were almost sentient, coming and going as they pleased._

 _But even still, I had become accustomed to them so much that there were hints as to when they were about to come forward...But not this time._

 _I had no idea what was happening, or what was about to happen, as I gasped, slumping to the floor of my new quarters, entering my dreamlike state._

* * *

 _Warm colors clouded my already blurred vision, disorientating me even further than I already was after such a-_

"Sapphire!" A voice whimpered, shaking my limp form

 _What happened_? I asked myself, the blurriness creating an array of red hues across my eyes

* * *

I looked up, tears rolling down my cheeks. _The sky never looked so beautiful I-_

 _A small voice called my name, the vision fading out after the sight of stars now blocked by a red blur of-_

* * *

"This has to stop! You can't keep doing this! Not here, not now, not to them! To their home! End this, Now!" A soft, yet loud and pleading voice cried

 _A flash of pink and-_

* * *

"Who do you think you are princess?" A tease filled my head, the final mock contorting and engulfing my thoughts

 _Stop saying that! What did I-_

* * *

 _A flash of white light, the thumping of bodies against the hard ground_

"Wha-What was that?" A whimper questioned below me

* * *

 _Metal clashing, screams, poofs, cries and-_

"Sapphire!" A breaking whimper begged "Please, go!"

"No!" I screamed, tears flooding my eyes, blurry sight taking over again

"Sapphire, please! Run!" it called again

" _No_!" I hissed, not able to see anything but the shadow and-

 _"Get away from her!_ "

* * *

"I know you're not dumb, Sapphire. You can't fool me" A familiar face met my still blurred vision

 _Why cant I see_?

The being grabbed my cheeks with one hand and my back with the other, pulling me closer to the words barked at me

"Now, TELL ME WHERE SHE IS" It ordered

I spat towards the color..." _Never_ "

It was dark now, everything else was gone, where was...

 _R-_

 _I screamed one last time before-_

* * *

I gasped, pulling at the covers on my lounge bed I was slumped up against to try and sit up straight; My ears were ringing, the sounds of screams and white noise are all I could hear as I exited my whirlwind of the future. I didn't know why, but tears were streaming in a heavy flow down the middle of my face and spilling onto my dress

A knock at the door yanked me further into reality, but did not help me to escape my thoughts

 _What was that_? I pleaded, questioning myself  
 _I've never felt anything like that before, I-_  
 _I was remembering some of it; the pain, the loneliness, the darkness and the fear... But I could feel, harmoniously with it, all the joy, the passion, the..._

I asked again... _What was that?_

It didn't feel like it was possibility, no. This felt like I was living each moment as if it were the now, that all of what I had seen was already reality. But...but it wasn't. Not _yet,_ anyway.

Perhaps, maybe, somethings _were_ set in stone...

Finally, I pulled myself back into the tangible world as another knock was heard at the door

 _Oh. Right. I was supposed to be answering that. Whoops._

I allowed myself to hover above the ground and float over to the door, giving myself a moment to straighten out my now wrinkled dress and my messy hair in order to make myself presentable to whomever had come to visit me.

It took my long dress a moment to catch up with my body as I landed in front of the door, opening it slowly

"Hello." I said in monotone, putting on a calm and serious facade to trick the two gems standing before me into thinking I had not just experienced the most intense moments of my life just brief seconds before.

"Hey! You must be 243..Er-Sapphire!" A small orange gem, branded with the pin of a war commander said through a thick accent i'd never heard before (and yet it felt..familiar?), shaking my hand vigorously

"Um-Hello" I muttered again, forcing a small smile.

 _I'm...not the best at socializing, considering I resided mostly in solitude for hundreds and hundreds of years._

She smiled wide "I'm Amber, and this is my friend, Tiger Eye"

"Nice to meet you, Sapphire" the towering gem said, bearing the same speech pattern as Amber, squatting down to greet me with a much lighter and calmer handshake than her friend had given me. "You can call me T. It's Easier" she said, offering a light chuckle

Amber spoke once more "Anyways, I'm your commander, and temporary guardian for the duration of the trip. But, PD's Pearl told me you don't like to be hovered over 'n junk, but I just wanted to formerly introduce myself, since we're going to be working together for a little while"

 _That Pearl belongs to Pink Diamond?_

"Well, Thank you, for stopping by" I grinned, somewhat calmed by the friendly interaction.

"Well" Amber began, glancing up at her teammate. "We'll get out of your hair, leave 'ya to your own devices an-"

T interjected, excitedly "Sapphire, you should come to the Warrior Get-Together in the base floor tonight" She offered, looking at Amber, almost to ask through her expression whether or not I could come

"Yeah!" Amber said, breaking out of her professional persona; "I mean, you're welcome to attend, if you'd like; maybe make some friends while we're on this long ass flight" she laughed

As the paths of fate presented themselves again, showing a positive outcome to most of the situations this opportunity spurred, I thought to myself that maybe some more interaction was what I needed, considering _A._ That I've barely had much over the course of my existence and _B.,_ that I needed to escape the fog that had been created by those visions...or, whatever they counted as.

"Sure, I'd be happy to" I said quietly, though through a smile

"Great!" T beamed

"We'll see you there!" Amber shouted as they walked across the hall, talking among st themselves, still bearing jovial smiles.

 _Why did I just say yes to that?_


	6. An Encounter

**Alright so I thought I would warn beforehand that this chapter has a _lot_ of fluff in it; from explanations of the gems, to long conversations, descriptions, etc; I really wanted to have character depth in this story, so I hope the length isn't a repellent to my readers.  
If you enjoy long reads, let me know, because I was hoping to write a large quantity of chapters, many of them very lengthy and detailed.**

 **Another thing to take into consideration is that I went back into my previous chapters and changed a few details and wordings, as I noticed that I made grammatical, spelling, and juvenile vocabulary errors. I don't think I changed a lot of my fanon information however, so not too much to worry about there . (If you do, however, wish to go back read the slight changes, I myself recommend it, as to clear up confusion when I write said new information into future chapters)**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this very overdue chapter. My apologies in regards to the very late upload; I've been studying gemstones, canon info, etc; so as to avoid any plotholes, and just started my sophomore year of high-school, So please bear with me!**

 **DISCLAIMER- I do NOT own Steven Universe or it's characters- All rightful ownership and credits for the show and its content goes to the creator, Rebecca Sugar, and the broadcaster, Cartoon Network.** **This fic is merely a fan-created, fictional work of appreciation for the show.**

* * *

R- _What was taking them so long?_

I had been waiting for almost half an hour for A and Tiger to come back from seeing that _royal brat_ ; trying my damnedest to keep from lighting anything on fire with the ferocious heat pouring off of me (because I sure as hell didn't need any teasing from the other warriors on my elemental powers; which, wouldn't be so bad, if they didn't insist on commenting about how I was the 'smallest of the "dying breed"')

 _Sure, okay, I didn't know who this gem was, but that didn't stop me from disliking her._

 _Royals are just uptight, prissy, and just downright awful, the lot of them. Every encounter I had with a royal ended up with them acting in accordance to that bias. And now Amber was babysitting one? Why can't the bairn just watch out for her damn self?_

"Ugh, finally!" I cried out to display my annoyance as I jumped from the bed, of which was undesirably _much_ taller than me, to walk over to the two of them; though A was now staring at a mass of papers that had been handed to her by one of the Servant Pearls.

"You took forever" I stared up at them, arms crossed and foot tapping

"We weren't gone for that long, Fire-Ball" Tiger mocked, ruffling my boxy hair

"Hey, cut it out!" I yelled, kicking her shin weakly in response as I fixed my mop. "Ugh, are you guys ready for the party or what?" I grunted through gritted teeth, more annoyed at their new-found presence than their previous absence

"Huh...? Oh...yeah, sure Rube" Amber muttered, very distracted by the papers she was examining

"And guess what?" Tiger asked quietly, leaning down to my eye-level, nearly touching my nose with hers, her hands placed on the sides of her wide hips  
"There's going to be a special guest at the party" She muttered, a sly smile creeping across her face.

"Wha? Who?" I asked, confused; _Was it one of the Diamonds or something?_

" _Sapphire's_ gonna tag along; You know, _Sapphire_? The royal gem you called a _bratty princess_ without even _meeting_ her?" She rose to her normal straight posture, one of her arms remained in place as the other one rose to flick my nose pettily. "What!? Are you _serious_?!" I exclaimed, arms flailing  
"Oh _calm down_ , Ruby" A said, walking over to us as she handed back the papers she had relieved to the servant "She's lovely. If you give the kid a chance you'll probably like her."  
"No, I _won't_ " my eyes locking with hers in an aggressive, stand-offish manner. "Watch yourself, Fire-Ball" T chuckled, waving her hand at me, walking away to fix herself with A by her side "Or soon _you_ might be the one to bear the title of ' _Brat_ '"  
I grunted loudly, throwing myself up onto my bunk to sit at the side; my arms crossed tightly, as if it were done to seek warmth (which, was quite ironic, really; seeing as T had made me hot with anger)

 _This is exactly why I don't like whoever "Sapphire" Is; she's ruining everything; First, she takes away Amber, Now this too?_

 _Yeah. Great._

* * *

 _ **S**_ \- _I've never been to anything like this before...What am I doing?_

 _Being locked away and captivated for most of my years didn't exactly leave spare time for parties and get togethers, or any socialization at all, for that matter.  
Being taken on this mission and coming aboard this new ship was the first time I've ever been given any autonomy and sense of self. Though, I didn't even know exactly who I was, anyway; I was just a worker for the authorities, and not much more..._

 _But this felt like it could be me, going to this. I could be a socialite, even though I didn't necessarily know how to interact and mingle like being so called for._

 _I was still going to try, at least._

I adjusted my hair and dress, as, I had noticed, a bit too late to fix it, my frozen tears had become stuck to it from the visions I had earlier this evening; Which would have been embarrassing, If I had seen it when I was conversing with Tiger and Amber; But, that was then, and there was nothing to be done to fix it. _No point in dwelling in the past._

But before I could make my departure from my sanctuary of solitude, I couldn't help but reiterate;

 _What am I doing?_

* * *

 _ **R** -_ _I don't even want to go to this anymore, now that the regal was coming too..._

Amber, T and I took the lift down to the bottom floor of the ship; considering taking the stairway would force us to go down like, 20 flights.  
When we got to the wide, open room, decorated in an array of rainbow crystalline colors and various items of entertainment: games, instruments, and various other things strewn about, much like our barracks had been set up, sans the beds, of course; most all the warriors were there already, indulging in dancing, playing and talking amongst themselves. The three of us naturally made our way to a table near a couple of the other gems from our troop, like Jade (who I called Lemon, in regards to her color palette) Rhosdestite (R or Rhodi, for short), Carnelian, and Andesine.

Lemon and Rhodi were the more sociable of our group, so they were the first to notice our approach and greet us in our arrival; "Hey guys!" Lemon greeted loudly, her slightly raspy tones carrying throughout the room, as it always did; loud just like the rest of the warriors.  
"You made it!" the smaller, in both stature and voice, pink socialite smiled wide, standing on her chair and forming her arms in a Y-formation above her head  
"Hey guys" Carnelian said, pausing from the deep conversation her and Andesine were engaged in to wave "-Anyway, like I said, it takes practice, Andi; You'll get the hang of it" she smiled at our pale friend, placing a hand on top of hers; It wasn't surprising that Andesine didn't speak, but only nodded and smiled back. She was quiet, which was seen as rare among the armies.  
We took seats, T and Amber crossing their legs in unison; their natural seated position  
"Ruby what's got you so pissed off?" Lemon giggled, placing her arms on the table  
"Shes just throwing a tantrum because we invited a royal to the party" T said, sighing, yet still smiling devilishly "She'll get over it once she actually meets her"  
"I'm _not_ throwing a tantrum" I huffed "You guys know those gems give me bad vibes. Always have. Don't act like I don't have my reasons for it, either..."  
"I say give her a chance, Rube-Cube" Lemon retorted, friendly as ever.  
"Whatever..."  
"Is this about those gems a couple centuries ago, back on homeworld?" Andesine muttered in her soft and soothing usual tone.  
"No!" I scoffed, crossing my arms and swaying a foot; noticing in the corner of my eye that she had jumped at my outburst  
"Well, _I_ for one am happy about meeting a new gem. The crowd around here's gone stale..." Carnelian snorted, comforting her startled and concerned friend.

"Where is she, by the way?" Amber wondered aloud

* * *

 _S-_ _This is probably a bad idea...Is this a bad idea?_

Its not like I could know, seeing as my visions had been suspended due to my anxiety and worry; which was bad enough, but made even worse as it was combined with my ever growing thought bubble in regards to the ones I had seen back in my quarters; even after the many hours that had passed since that event.

The lift plummeted much faster than I could have expected it to have; I suppose this ship _really had_ been equipped with the latest and greatest gem technology.  
It took less than a few seconds for the large metallic doors to slide open with a cacophonous rush of heat consuming the previously chilled air of the elevator.  
I hadn't even stepped from the hoist, nor stopped turning my head from one side to the next outside of its doors to examine the new space, before I had heard the familiar accent of a boisterous orange gem call my name.

"Yo! Sapphire! Over here, doll!" Amber greeted, waving her palm high in the air, to which all the other gems at her table joined in to gesture me towards their location.  
Forcing a small smile to crease over my face, I made a slow journey over.  
"Hello." I greeted, a bit shy, trying to maintain my small simper.  
"Sapphire, glad you could make it!" The tallest gem beamed, her mouth widening to form a grin, exposing her dagger-esk teeth  
"This is..Well, everybody!" the group commander chuckled, beginning to list all those present "Lemon Jade,";"Hey" the aforementioned smirked, her eyes tightening joyfully into near slits  
"Andesine, Carnelian, Rhodestite" she paused, the three smiling pleasantly and waving."And Ruby" she directed to her side, palm facing skyward.  
I hadn't noticed the small red gem until she had been introduced; it seemed as though maybe she had been taking refuge in hiding behind her slightly larger comrade. She glanced at me briefly, a hint of darker shading appearing and promptly receding from her cheeks, as she broke her gaze quickly, crossing her arms and staring at the floor.  
"H-Hi" I muttered, staring through my hair at the gem, wondering as to why she had glanced at me in such a bitter manner; _I wasn't good with socializing, but I was, ironically, fairly good at understanding others and their expressions. Call it intuition._  
"Take a seat, Sapph" Tiger offered, pulling a seat over from a table behind her  
I hummed in thanks, and straightened my gown before settling  
"You look hot in that." Rhodestite commented, her head angling itself in confusion  
"Wha-What?" I stammered, taken aback and wondering in which sense of the word she had intended her sentence to mean.  
"I mean, like, that dress is real pretty 'n all, but we got elementals down here; one of 'em is sitting right next to you, actually" She laughed, nodding her head towards the Ruby "And we're close to all the ships machine junk; Aren't you burnin' up in that?"  
"Oh, well..." my eyes had been guided once more at the Ruby, who's gaze seemed to have had been resting on me, before fixating her eyes on something else "I suppose its a bit warm...". I _did_ look quite out of place, seeing as all the other gems wore their casual, out of code dress-wear, which was more exposing and therefore, heat adaptive. Were they wearing it just for the party? Gem's weren't known to be able to wear anything but the assigned outfits; then again, this _was_ my first time being exposed to warriors.

Jade, or should I say Lemon, wore a sleeveless, thick jumpsuit that ended at her shoulders and upper thighs, of which had more pockets than seemed necessary, seeing as she wasn't engaged in combat; it, along with her small boots and short hair (which was pulled into messy, balled up pony tails on that hung just above her shoulders; longer pieces of her hair framing her oval face), contrasted her pale yellow skin, as it was colored a much brighter, more vibrant yellow; a band was wrapped around her thigh just below her short seem, and was connected by a cord to her boots. She surly fit the warrior gem bill, but, still maintained an aesthetic vibe to her get-up

Rhodestite seemed the most feminine of the bunch, wearing a flowy, warm pink top, slightly darker than her skin, that cascaded down her back and down the length of her legs, a wrap tightened around her torso in a much lighter shade of the tunic; semi-transparent, cropped leggings of the same hue ended at her ankles, where oppositely opaque boots were met; matching the color of her irises. Like most of the others, her hair was short, yet, was much curlier than I could see of coinciding warriors. Her small voice complimented her appearance; delicate and pleasant. It took me a moment to notice that her gem was placed on her wrist and was wrapped in a clear, pinkish cloth.

Carnelian wore shoulder pads much like myself, yet hers were much boxier; her top burnt orange was sleeveless, otherwise; wide, dark shorts accentuated her sides, with a sort of skirted material underneath them. Her boots came up to her thighs, the same dark color as her gloves, and shorts, except for the edges having matched her blouse; unlike all the others, her casual wear still had the diamond symbol placed towards the peak of her triangle cut boots.

Andesine's pale-reddish-orange palette look was quite simple; a light, poofy, jumpsuit was worn; sleeves running down the length of her arms and ending at her ankles on her legs. I couldn't notice a diamond symbol until I noticed one her petite foot, a small flat shoe covering it, matching the near transparent fabric that surrounded her body. Her hair was long, and cascaded down the entire length of her back, part of it in a small bun at the base of the back of her head.

The Ruby, however, was dressed in much darker colors in comparison to her complexion; opposite to the contrasting brighter colors of her teammates outfits. A patterned plum headband pulled her dark hair from her face; though, her shoulder-length wear making an effort to cover as much of her uncomfortable expression and burning cheeks; the band's color matching the shirt that lay underneath a jacket of the sort, the underside of her much duller and deeper colored shorts, and her short cut boots, adorned with a lightly colored diamond on the tops. The faded purple hued belt that rested on the hips of her shorts bore a colored diamond symbol.

 _Why did she look so upset? So...angry?_ I wondered, my lips parting as if to ask, though not, in knowing of the bad outcomes of saying anything in regards to her demeanor.

I took into account what the small pink gem had commented, and decided to change accordingly. My lengthy petticoats and evening gloves shortened and tightened; my long apron now resting on not a skirt, but my legs. It felt strange to change from my normal garb, seeing as I especially didn't necessarily even _need_ to do it in the first place. But, seeing as my elemental powers had usually been frowned upon, (and didn't even appear unless in times of desperation and/or extreme emotion, anyways), it seemed best to not make them known.

"Like this...?" I asked of the gems  
"Yeah! you totally fit in now!" Rhodestite squealed happily  
"Well, sans your tincture you do" Lemon laughed "But yeah, casual looks good on you."  
"Thank you..." I muttered, not comfortable with the change myself  
"So, what brings you aboard this massive hunk of metal, Sapph?" Carnelian asked, her elbow resting on the table's surface so that her palm may support her small chin as she offered a smile and soothing gaze.  
"Well, I suppose you could say that I am of assistance to the diamonds and their sub-leaders on the voyage to the newly discovered planet we're traveling to" I offered, staring down at my gem encrusted palm, before meeting the gaze of my onlookers; even the bitter red gem had shifted her gaze to mine for a brief moment.  
"What do the diamond's want with a Sapphire?" Rhodestite questioned, her small voice cracking "Wait, A didn't you say she's 'got future vision 'n junk?"  
"Rhodi!" Amber cried out, stumbling out of her slouched position to bend her arms akimbo upon the table, her eyes widening as much as they would allow "Sapphire I am _so_ sorry I-"  
"That's quite alright, Amber." I reassured, trying to hide my vexation. "I had figured someone had told you of my ability" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood "But yes, I indeed bear the power of foresight, Rhodi"  
A small scoff, mixed with a laugh, came from the Ruby; everyone turned, including myself, to look at her in reaction to hearing the small gem make a sound after continuous silence. Without turning her head from her locked gaze at Ruby, Amber commented  
"I think you're the first foreseer I've ever met in person" her gaze shifted to me once more "They're hard to come by from what I've heard"  
"I didn't even know they existed in the first place quite frankly" Andesine muttered; the first words out of her mouth soft and soothing  
Another grumble came from behind Amber, though no reaction came from the others this time.  
"Guess that makes you quite the special gem, huh?" Tiger smiled widely, patting my shoulder, almost in pride.  
"We can officially say that we know the rarest gem of all!" Rhodi beamed  
The small ruby cried out in what sounded like anguish, before she leapt from her and began to make her way to the exit; her shoulders scrunched, steam bellowing off of her and grumbles that varied in pitch escaping from her mouth.  
"Ruby, where are you going!?" Amber yelled, turning in her chair suddenly to watch the red gem stumble away  
" _Away_!" she screamed, quickly turning to sputter her response through damn near flames leaving her throat  
"Aw, come on Ruby!" T complained, raising a hand and allowing it to drop and slap against her leg  
" _You_ come on, T!" another loud scream caused the entire room to go freakishly silent "I'm out of here..." she muttered a few quiet phrases before once more going to take her leave  
"Yo Amber, What's the matter with the elemental?" A gem from the back of the room yelled through cupped palms  
"Shut up Citrine" Carnelian yelled as she stood atop her chair. "Sorry about that Sapphire. Rube can be really emotional sometimes"  
"Such a party pooper..." Added Rhodestite  
I stood up, ignoring the small specks of visions fading and fogging my sight, and began to follow the burnt path by which Ruby had created; changing back into my normal dress as I floated from the table.  
"Sapph, what are you doing?" T asked in a hush  
I craned my neck as to expose the profile of my face to them; "I'm going to talk to her"  
"What? Why?" Lemon questioned "Look, shes always like this, it's not your fault Sapp-"  
"Yes, it is." I cut in, turning and walking away as the group fell into silence

 _At least, I think it is...  
_

* * *

 _ **R-**_ _Stupid regal...stupid friends...stupid ship..._

I kept muttering through the steam of my continuously evaporating tears and fire in the back of my throat as I rapidly pressed the elevator button  
 _Just get me out of here.  
Why is this stupid lift taking so long!?_

I let out a yell, feeling my palm vibrate with light, my weapon glove forming on my fist; I lifted my hands with an exasperated yell as I aimed at the illuminated, nonfunctional button, and began to bring my weight down on it when-  
A sudden blue shape appeared before my target

"I wouldn't do that, If I were you"  
The sapphire stood inches from my face, her small hand resting on my glove.  
I grunted, jumping back slightly and shaking my head in an attempt to make my tears and burning cheeks disappear, before giving my angriest look at the regal  
"That is, if you want to leave." She muttered as she shifted her weight; I noticed her original outfit had come back; a long, multi layered dark blue dress that dragged on the floor, her giant poofed white shoulder pads back; definitely looked exactly like a princess; not that that was a good thing...  
"Leave me alone!" I yelled, getting in her face in aggression; she stood unphased  
"Did I...Do something?" She asked, slightly angling her head  
"I said leave me alone! I just want to go back to my room, alright?!"  
"Ruby..."  
"Leave. Me. Alone." I muttered, tears starting to come back, the fire in my throat growing with intensity and power, shaking my voice and breaking my speech.  
She slowly shifted away from her place, turning to press the button once more, the doors opening within seconds.  
I looked at her with my mouth agape with an amazed expression that quickly shifted to anger as I stomped into the elevator and crossed my arms, avoiding eye contact (Not that there was any to be made with those ridiculously long bangs in her face) as the doors closed, her veiled gaze still locked on me.

I allowed myself to gasp for the air I didn't need as I slide down the wall of the elevator and sat on the floor with my head in my knees, sighing sharply.  
 _Who does she think she is?!  
_ The flame in my throat tried to die down, but instead illicitly burned even harder; I got rid of my weapon and smushed my face in my hands, tears with no linked emotion of origin spilling onto the floor.  
 _Why don't they understand? Why won't they just listen to me?  
Its like they don't even care about me anymore...  
_

* * *

 **Wow that was so hard to write; I'm still not completely content with the ending Ruby point of view, but it's emotional, and hints at her background and such, so I'll take it.  
**

 **Also, since I've taken a lot of time to develop my OC's, I even matched them with the voices of mostly famous and well known actresses; So if you wondered what voice to sort of line up with each of the gems, here's my list! (You can listen to most of these lovely ladies's voices on youtube available interviews and scenes)**

 **\- Amber- Rosie Perez (Accent for A is found in "Lee's Do the Right Thing")  
\- Tiger- Margot Robbie (In Wolf of Wall Street)  
\- Carnelian- Emma Stone  
\- Lemon- Hayden Penettire  
\- Andesine- Suzy from Game Grumps  
\- Rhodestite- Amanda Bynes**

 **I'm already working on the next chapter, and hopefully I'll have cleared up a bit of confusion about why Ruby dislikes Sapphire so much by then.  
**

 **So stay tuned I guess!**

 **-B**


	7. Crimson Hues

**Hilariously enough, this chapter is going to be a bit short in comparison to its preceding chapter; the one to follow _this_ one, however, will be very long like " _An Encounter_ " was. (I think...)  
** **I thought I would remind you all that my tumblr is the same as my username if you want to keep yourself updated on the story and such!  
Besides that, I hope this chapter convey's a small portion/teaser of Ruby's backstory like I imagine it in my head, so if there's any confusion, rest assured it will be clarified in the semi-near future!**

 **Also, I discovered that my favorite artist, Jen-iii, via tumblr, reads Counterparts, and quite honestly I kind of screamed of joy for about ten minutes.**

* * *

 ** _S-_** _I can't help but feel like this is somehow my fault...  
_ _The actions of Ruby were obviously that of hostility towards...well, me?  
_ _But...Why?_

I waited a long while before leaving the recreation basement after Ruby's departure, despite the other's wishes for me to stay, and spent the rest of the evening contemplating all the new, confusing onslaught of information and emotion as I paced through my quarters.  
Nothing made sense, I'd never even met the red elemental before the... _red_...

 _Oh no. Not again..._

* * *

 _My face was gripped with so much pressure it was hard to turn but I couldn't help but try, I...  
" _Ruby!"_  
_

* * *

She turned to face me, her hair dragging behind in speed, crashing into her cheeks from the force of the twist.  
" _Who exactly do you think you are, princess?"_ She yelled, too loud for the walls to suppress  
 _"Stop saying that!..."  
_

* * *

 _" _Ruby! Get off!"_ I laughed, my weight buckled against the ground  
 _I don't mean it, I could stay like this for hours, really.__

* * *

 _"Sapphire!"  
"Ruby, I..."  
The red hue's again..._

* * *

My head had gone slack, snapping into place once the visions faded away; I patted my face, looking for wetness to meet my palms, and finding nothing in return. Thankfully, this cluster of visions hadn't brought me to tears.  
But, like the previous ones the day before, I had to take a moment to search my brain for their meanings.  
 _Why her? She hates me, why would she..._

A knock broke me free from the silence.

I stood, clumsily walking over to answer the guest, nearly falling over from the dizzy spinning of my surroundings. I found, ironically enough, Amber, standing on the barrier of the hall to my room.

 _Just like last time. How comical._

 _"_ Oh, Hello Amber." I nearly whispered, not consciously thinking in regards to my volume.  
"Hey Sapph. Mind if I..." She gestured her line of sight into the space. "Oh, of course" I muttered, stepping aside to allow her entry to my room.  
"Thanks"  
"What's...um-up?" I asked, trying to break from my seemingly too formal usual manner of speech.  
"I just...you know, wanted to sorta apologize for Ruby, last night. She can be a little...weird, sometimes."  
Her atonement struck me with surprise, confining me in my standing position for a solid moment, of which might have been too long a pause amidst utter silence.  
"That's...Quite alright, I-"  
A small grunt of slight disagreement hummed within A before she spoke "Well, It's not. She shouldn't have done that to you, especially when you have no context" The material of the chair she seated herself in squeaked from the friction of her shifting "I thought I could at least tell you why she went all berserk, right? I can imagine you're kinda confused, wonderin' if this if your fault or-or if you did something wrong- 'cuz, y-you didn't. Ruby's...always like this."  
I drew back from asking any follow up questions to allow her to continue without interruption. _This seems...kind of heavy, after all.  
"_Anyways, I guess it all stems from back when she first formed, a millennia or so ago, give or take. With Ruby being an elemental, and..you know, kinda small, the royalty back on homeworld...roughed her up, quite a bit." A small sigh filled the empty room with the same weight as the story it was accompanied by "It...took a toll on her, to say the least...She's never gotten over it, even though it was a while back. It happened for a long time, real early on in her life, so I guess I don't blame her, really. I just wish she had a better way of not acting it out in front of people, you know? You didn't deserve to get the backhand of her janked past."  
The anger directed at my future vision for _once again_ not assisting me in supplying the context Amber could offer beforehand arose within me again.  
 _"_ I had no idea..."  
"How could you? You only just met her, Sapph. It's not even close to being your fault. The gesture of you trying to talk to her shifted something in her, anyway; if it's any consolation. No royal has ever truly treated her with any respect. Well, except for PD; and now you, of course."  
"Pink diamond?" I murmured "Ruby knows a her?"  
"Well, yeah. She's the 'war' gem of the authority. She meets with all of her forces; she's got a big heart for someone in charge of that kinda stuff. It was only once or twice, but Rube really liked her; PD made her feel like she deserved respect, which she does, unlike most other regals, or even most of the Diamonds would."  
 _Her words faded out at the end, I..._

"Sapph? Are...Are you okay?" She asked, shifting forward in her seat, arms outstretched in an attempt to assist my new uneasy stance.

I could feel myself slump to the ground with a loud thud as they came. They seem to all make me go limp, lately. _Weird._

* * *

 _Horrifying screams, distorted by the wave of the sheet metal upon the walls of a...a ship?_

 _The sound of an explosion hushed them gently, soon enough._

* * *

 _New screams, this time combined with the slashing of rougher metal and loud cracks created a raucous fog in the world; disorienting and terrifying._

 _I couldn't do anything to stop it, either; That was the worst part._

 _"Sapphire! Run!"  
Who is that?_

 _"Sapphire...Sapphire...SAPPHIRE!"_

* * *

" _Sapphire_?!" Amber screamed, my shoulders suddenly sore from the pressure of her small, yet forceful hands' grip on them as she shook me gently.

"That one again...and th-the ship...I-I don't understand" I murmured, staring at my gem encrusted hand as it sat in the palm of the other.  
"What don't you understand, Sapph...?" Amber whispered as she helped me to my feet.  
I continued to stare for a solid moment before turning quickly to face Amber as I grabbed her free hand. "You said you know Pink Diamond, correct?"  
"Uh...yeah, but I don't-" A stammered  
"Is she on board?"  
"Well, yeah, of course she is...Why?" She asked, looking at me up and down with extreme concern and confusion  
"Call her Pearl. Now." I wasn't the type to order someone around, but with this vision occurring a second time, I couldn't ignore it anymore. Especially with the new one to accompany it. I was used to reporting them, anyway. This would just be my first on-board the new ship, under a new command, and the first to be so heavy and heart-rending.  
"Su-Sure."  
Amber slowly walked over to the small communication device on the nearby stationary table and began to dial a long code before a long beeping sound began to emit from it. After a few moments of the chirps, a dark blue hologram spread across the back wall, the face of the familiar Pearl appearing, still gleeful.  
"243, Hello; What seems to trouble you?" She asked, directing her attention to my hidden face.  
"I need to see Pink Diamond immediately. It's very _very_ urgent." I was shaking now, though it took Amber placing a hand on my arm for me to notice.  
"Oh...Of course." She stammered, taken aback by my tone "I'll be up shortly...Um-Goodbye" And with that the hologram dispersed.

A long pause ensued, A still standing in bewilderment, before she tried her hand once more at grasping what exactly the situation had become.  
"What did you see?" She murmured, a small blush of fear creeping across her cheeks and just below her small nose.

I needed to word this carefully, that much I knew. She was anxious, and I didn't need to add more fuel to the flame, knowing that the visions are quite possibly inaccurate, or at the very least, avoidable...probably. It took another long silence for me to compile my thoughts.  
"Invaders." I stated, almost too factual for the facade I wished to portray "One of our ships is quite possibly destined to go down, and it could very well be us."

My attempt to slightly defuse Amber's worry didn't work, as her eyes widened and her posture stiffened.

 _Though, like it usually did, a knock broke the silence._

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER- I do NOT own Steven Universe or it's characters- All rightful ownership and credits for the show and its content goes to the creator, Rebecca Sugar, and the broadcaster, Cartoon Network.** **This fic is merely a fan-created, fictional work of appreciation for the show.**


	8. Keep Your Eyes Peeled

**I've decided to set my update goal to at least every Wednesday and Saturday, (My time, GMT) which would be on Tuesdays and Fridays (EST); Hopefully, I can stay with that schedule, and if not, I still promise to update as soon as I possibly can!**

 **I also thought you all might like to know that I've written 10+ pages of planning, character development, and other events for the story, which will probably amount to 50 or so chapters (Probably more, though).**

 **Anyways, and without further ado, it would appear to be time to meet Pink Diamond...(The chapter after this will break from the continuous POV of Sapphire, going to Ruby's perspective.)**

 **ps. Thank you all for your support and kindness! Each review, follow & favorite means so _so_ much to me!**

* * *

 _ **S-** It's just a Diamond; you've met all of the other three, it's not a big deal._

 _And, well, it wasn't, really. I couldn't help but feel nervous, though._

Thankfully, due to the trained minds and persona's of the Pearls, they give honest word as to their arrival and duties; The Pearl belonging to Pink Diamond clearly made no haste as to her venture to the atrium, having arrived just mere seconds after the reveal I had made to Amber. To compensate for her rapidity, I used my untapped power of speed to answer the door promptly after her initial first knock; opening it to find her balled hand in place of where a second one was to have sounded, had contact been made with the crystalline passageway.

She was in a much different wear than the jumpsuit I had found her in yesterday, as she now wore a light pink top and white shorts, with semi-transparent, blush tinted, sparkling fabric on the ends of her sleeves, pant-legs, and just above her small, heeled shoes; her top came down to the middle of her chest in a V-Shape, a Pink Diamond branded where the two ends of the peach collar met. Her shoes were white, matching her shorts that ended mid-thigh, with the complete diamond insignia on the tops of her feet. The ends of her long sleeves and shorts almost resembled a dress, in a way. I noticed as well that her previous short, slick hair was now much longer, pulled into a loose bun at the very top of her head; a thin piece of white jewelry came down the sides of her skull and met in the middle of her forehead. She surly looked like an assigned Pearl, though, with a deeper sense of autonomy than most gems of her class usually received when it came to self-expression.

She looked worried, her free hand gripping the clipboard she held it tight to her chest and the other grabbing onto it now as well.  
"Oh-S243, I hope I'm not late; we may depart now, if you would like. I've already notified Pink Diamond as to your necessary meeting with her." She stuttered, resuming composure only towards the ends of her statement as she bowed her head in conclusion.

I turned to look at Amber, who still stood in the center of the room in a daze; she combed through her long orange locks, of which were now out of the tight ribbon that usually bound them together.  
Though she didn't turn from her position, I could see the glint of a bulging gem in place of where a second eye should be; though that side of her face was usually covered by a portion of her hair, so it was no surprise that I hadn't noticed it previously. Keeping her fingers busy must has been some sort of coping mechanism; it was comforting to know even commanders could worry and fear. Which also meant they weren't largely emotionless and cold like some of the guards and leaders I had been surrounded by in previous years.

"Amber, do you need me to help you back to your quarters before I-"  
"No." Amber interrupted "I'm coming too." She continued, turning her head quickly, her hair covering her gem once more (though it seemed an unconscious action). "I _am_ your commander, after all." she smiled weakly to break the awkwardness.  
"Yes, of course." I turned back to the Pearl, changing into my "official" uniform in a small flash of light. It was no different than my usual dress, except for the increased amount of diamond symbols as a show of respect, short, white gloves to conceal the gem in my hand, and a much pointier version of my normally small and circular shoulder pads; which were very uncomfortable and troublesome (My reason for having disagreed to wearing them regularly, despite uniform recommendation).

We descended the tortuous stairway, leading down to the bottom floor of the atrium. Though, the Pearl's next turn surprised me a bit, despite myself and my future vision; which, once again, was of no help to me. The assistant turned to the altitudinous pink doors on the far wall, which had taken a good while for her to reach. She placed a slender hand on the center of the crystalline aperture as a circle of light surrounded it, processing from a reddish hue into a light blue color before a beep of acceptance sounded.  
A low rumble began as the gateway began to separate and open as the Pearl took a few steps back. Only when she started inside did Amber and I reach the opening.  
"Your grace, I arrive with the Sapphire you wished to convene with! She brought along with her the commander of your 97th sector, as well." the Pearl voiced, angling her head and neck around a sharp corner, and then stepped away from the barrier to bow and walk towards the entity to which she had spoken to.  
A melodic, soft voice responded to her, not sounding anywhere near how I would have expected a Diamond to.  
"Thank you, Pearl. You are relieved."  
Amber stepped from the aforementioned corner without interlude, saluting, and then taking a seat in a tall crystal chair that called for her to climb in order to rest herself. I, however, needed a pause to collect myself, oddly enough; but, seeing as dawdling is disfavored greatly, I forced myself to enter the room with haste, nonetheless; I stood beside Amber's seat, seeing as I was too nervous to take one myself.

The Pearl now stood next to a long table extending horizontally, to which the Diamond sat in the center of one of its lengthy sides, standing as she saw me enter. Though, she did look altered from the statue of her I had seen the day before; Thick, pink, curled locks, of which had been short and cut angular, now hung down further than the length of her shoulders, loose bangs draping her forehead. Though, a large portion of her hair had been gathered and heightened at the crown of her skull, a sparkling band accessorizing it all. A pale pink shawl covered her shoulders and came up a large portion of her neck, angled shoulder pads instilled within it; underneath her cover she wore a tight bodysuit that was cut in a heart shape at her chest. Her gem was surrounded by a gold white band, her bodysuit cut in a diamond shape at her abdomen to accentuate its placement. She wore the same dark pink heeled shoes as she had in her statue, but the body suit was a dress of sorts, cut in a half-triangle sort of many on the sides of her thighs and down the center where her legs separated. Again, not seeming anything at all like the other diamonds had.

"And you" she smiled wide, lacing her fingers together in front of her chest "Must be Sapphire."  
"Oh, yes. Thank you for agreeing to meet me, ma'am." I murmured, curtsying, to find her to do the same in response

 _They...don't usually do that..._

"Before I send my Pearl away, Amber" she began, hands interlocked again  
"Y-Yes ma'am?" A popped out of the relaxed position she rested in, folding her hands in her lap and turning her head to Pink Diamond  
"How are you liking the ship? Is there anything I can help you or your troops with?"  
"Oh, no ma'am, I just-" Amber began to stutter, obviously not prepared to answer such a generously worded offer and question  
"She's concerned about the visions I had; She was with me when they happened and she helped me regain consciousness." I said, taking a step towards the desk, Pink Diamond's smile fading and then widening once more as she looked at Amber.

"Well, I cannot thank you enough for just that, then." She spoke, softening her tone lightly and getting closer to A; she stood above her as she continued. " Sapphire's gift is crucial to the safety of gemkind. Your willingness to ensure her security is greatly appreciated; Thank you, Amber."

 _My...gift?_

She placed a palm on A's shoulder, much to the orange gem's surprise, as she bend slightly to look at her directly instead of from a near aerial view: "As soon as Sapphire and I discuss the situation at hand, I will confer with you as well, if that will ease your worry."  
Amber remained in a state of shock, a hushed cough transitioned her into a response  
"Oh, yes ma'am, thank you."  
"Pearl" The Diamond turned to look at the slim gem beside her; stuck like glue, it seemed. "Guide Amber back to her quarters, please." She turned back to the commander after the Pearl nodded and saluted the towering gem "I'll notify you on your communications system as soon as I can."  
And with that, Pearl and Amber began to make their departure  
"Close the doors, would you Pearl?" She asked, her voice elevated, receiving an echoing _'Yes Ma'am!'_ from near the exit.

I took a seat after the two had left, flattening out my skirt as the Diamond rested herself as well.

"I understand how heavy your gift can be to bear. So, whatever you saw or believe to have seen, explain it to me as best you can; if you can't, that's no problem at all, Okay?"

 _She keeps calling it a gift...she really isn't like the others. It seemed like she was more-so a counselor than a Diamond..._

 _"_ Yes, Thank you ma'am." I sighed, trying to remember it all in as much detail as possible.  
"I had a vision yesterday _and_ a few moments ago, but... it was much darker than the ones I usually have..."  
I decided not to mention any of the ones involving the Ruby; she didn't need to know about those...  
"One of a ship, possibly...going down? A-and another, of what seemed like... _war_ , possibly?" I exhaled to collect myself again.

"There were screams and shouts, the sounds of _explosions_ , gems... _cracking_ , I..." I breathed again, this time much heavier, the air wavering; looking up to her as I finished, my bangs slightly parting. She looked at me in the eye, her face going stoic and then expressing slight horror, mixed with shock and fear. I quickly looked back down quickly to continue, and to conceal my eye; I still wasn't comfortable with letting others see it, even after thousands of years.

"It doesn't make sense to me, ma'am, but they seemed so... _real_..." Another heavy sigh.

And again, silence.

I was used to quiet between other gem's and myself now. It appeared to be a normal social occurrence. Or, maybe I wasn't as good at associating as I thought I was...

"Th-Thank you, Sapphire." She began, standing to turn her back to me, looking out of the large window behind her desk. A small sigh left her as she bowed her head and held her hands behind her back, rubbing her fingers together.

She turned, suddenly, causing me to jump-ever so slightly from glancing at the palm that concealed my gem underneath the alabaster glove.

"I'm going to assign Amber and some of her troops to guard you, and as much of the passengers as possible, at all times." She said quietly, glancing at the wall beside her as she walked closer to where I sat.

"I _know_ you don't like being watched all the time, because you always have been. I know that; but your gift is incredibly important and I need to ensure your safety." She crouched down to grab a hold of the hand which housed my gem and to look at me where she now knew my eye was located.

"You're not a captive. The others were wrong for making you feel that way; That's not what I'm trying to do here and I need you to know that. You aren't a tool, and you are most certainly not a slave. You never were." The Diamond cocked her head slightly to the right and sighed: "What you do helps out more than you know, and I need to ask you to lend this gift to me, Sapphire. Can you do that? For me?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with emotion

 _In all my years..._

I looked at her in awe, a small stream of tears beginning to pour down the center of my face; I quickly wiped them away from under my bangs, my other palm still gripped gently by the Pink gem.  
"Of course. Th...Thank you, Pink Diamond..." I allowed myself to form a weak smile as I held back more tears.  
"I _truly_ can't thank you enough." She concluded, helping me to my feet and walking me towards the exit.

But, the pleasant adieu did not last.

 _Graceful interruptions seem to not exist, apparently._

A loud, blaring noise came from a crystal, palm shaped communication device on the farthest wall behind where we stood, stopped in our tracks as we looked back at the beam of light coming from the contraption.  
I looked up, nearly craning my neck vertically, to look at the Diamonds face, her eyes wide in alarm and puzzlement as she started towards the noise, her heels clicking against the tile.

She placed her palm against the reader, a pink screen popping up in place of where the window was positioned, a long message written within.

Silence plagued the room for what felt like eons, before a hushed, indistinct ' _No'_ left the gem's mouth.

"M-Ma'am? Is...Is everything alright?" I asked, taking a step and extending my hand forward.

Her palm dropped from the reader, lightly slapping the fabric it contacted on her thigh.

"You were right..." She whispered

"What?"

"One of our ships...just went down, Sapphire..."


	9. Cope and Mend

**I'm in the process of writing as many chapters as possible this weekend so I can actually get into the schedule I mentioned a chapter or two ago! My updates will be very continuous from this point on, with 2 (sometimes 3, if we're lucky) chapters a week! (I hope!)**

 **I'll keep my commentary short; with that being said, It's time for some long delayed Ruby POV...!**

* * *

 _ **R-** I wasn't being dramatic on purpose. They knew that..._

 _I just don't want to lose my friends to someone like her; was that really such a bad thing to be afraid of?_

* * *

After leaving the party, the only place I wanted to go was back to the safety of my quarters and much-too-tall of a bed. But...along the way, something stopped me, and I closed the doors of the elevators once more instead of getting off on the floor of the barracks, and went up a few floors to the training arena.  
I spent most of my time back on Homeworld in these types of facilities, after all. Like a home away from home...Except, this "home" was _much_ too sterile and pristine in comparison...

I hadn't even noticed that an entire _cycle_ had passed while I was in there, honestly. _When you get in the zone, it's hard to get back out._ _Well, for me, anyway.  
_ It took T coming in for me to return to reality.

I stood at the same punching bag for most of my time there (apparently, most of the _day_ there...); _punch, kick, jab. 1,2,3. Repeat. Punch, kick, jab...1,2,3; repeat._

 _"_ Havin' fun there?" Tiger muttered through the dead air from the wall she leaned on behind me, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

I didn't respond.  
 _1,2,3. Jab, punch, kick; Repeat._

 _"_ Rube..." She said louder, yet mousy; her boots clicking against the metal floor as she walked over to me and placed a hand on my arm.

 _Jab, punch, kick, repeat. Jab, jab, jab..._

She placed her other hand on the untouched shoulder, and spun me around when I was in between my blows, of which were increasing in power just as my frustration had.  
I breathed heavily from my exasperation, and didn't look into her eyes until she lifted my chin from my downward gaze. Her expression revealed to be full of concern when my eyelids lifted.

"Ruby." She reiterated, her soothing voice contradicted the jagged teeth it passed through.  
 _Tiger herself was a contradiction in those sorts of ways._  
"What?" I whispered through heavy sighs, my eyes filling with emotion to mirror her.

A pause ensued, the room sitting in a hush, sans my panting; only having been interrupted when T pulled me into a tight squeeze, her arms nearly wrapping around me two times over.  
My vestigial breath was lost from the impact as a noise of discomfort replaced it.

She was roughly 5 times my size, so seeing her sitting on her knees with her burly arms holding me in a death grip and her head resting on my shoulder probably looked strange from a third person perspective.

 _But, quite honestly, I didn't care._

I let out a small, content murmur as I tried to extend my tiny arms around her neck and shoulders.  
She broke from the hug after a moments pass to smile at me and speak.

"Pink diamond's holding a meeting. We have to get going, okay?" T asked, standing and assuming her towering height over me.

 _Not necessarily what I expected her to say, but the gesture was enough. T wasn't a very affectionate of gem, so it was much in little._

"Yeah, okay." I answered, looking at her giant hand as it held mine and squeezing.

When we got to the atrium, it seemed to me as though every gem was present; an array of reds, orange, and yellows clashing into a rainbow amalgam with blues, purples and greens; Various spots of white and black speckling the crowd.

A quiet hum came from Tiger as she released her grip on my hand, causing me to look up at her from the loss of contact.  
"Where is everyone...?"  
"Am-Ah!" I yelped for A, interrupted by Tiger's hands grabbing me from underneath my arms, lifting me into the air and standing me atop her broad shoulders.  
"See 'em?" Tiger asked, glancing up at me. It felt weird for her to be the one looking skyward instead of myself.

I glanced through the wide-spread mass of gems, seeing the top of an all to familiar pink gem's head. I wasn't the only one being perched on shoulders, apparently; It was a habit Rhodi had with Lemon, too. _Go figure. Sizable gems like helping us feel tall too, sometimes. Those two especially._

"Found Rhodi" I shouted, pointing in the direction of our group, Tiger promptly pushing her way through the crowd to them. Though, because of her height, it was more so her attempting to not step on anyone than really _forcing_ her way through. Nonetheless, she muttered 'e _xcuse me'_ every time she moved. She was harsh, but polite all the same.

As soon as we got near the others, I was lifted off of my perch and set down next to Amber

"There you are!" She offered me a small grin, though, her face plastered with poorly veiled anxiety. A glance and smirk extended to Tiger as well.  
Her hair nearly parted from where her gem was set as she turned back to me quickly "I have to go stand up there with PD, alright? Stay here." And with a tussle of my hair, she hopped onto the stage in front of where our mass of friends stood.  
"You okay Rue?" Lemon asked, turning to look at me with her hands on Rhodi's small, chubby legs on the sides of her neck.  
"Mhm." I muttered in response, stepping forward to stand with them and glance at the rostrum.

A small cluster of Pearls stepped onto the stage, blowing into some small instrument used to quiet the crowd. Silence fell at once.  
They blew into them once more, this time in the pattern of an anthem to announce the arrival of an authority.

From the far wall behind the stage, large doors opened with a bellowing grumble, to reveal Pink Diamond and her assistant, of whom was very small compared to her matriarch.

Her tall heels clicked with a pleasant beat as she climbed the stairs of the stage, a glittering cape dragging behind her.  
She positioned herself in the center of the platform, dismissing the Pearls to the side.

"Greetings" She spoke loudly for all present to hear, her hands interlocked in front of her. Everyone, including myself, answered back with a harmonious _'greetings, your highness'_.

"I know of the inconvenience I have caused to gather you here, and I apologize for such."

The crowd responded again by bowing and accepting her apology. [ _'All is forgiven, your grace.']_

The Diamond gazed upon the congregation with eyebrows furrowed and a small frown spreading across her face.

"I regret to inform you all that one of our neighboring ships was attacked just hours ago, having gone down completely." She declared, bowing her head and lowering her laced hands.

The crowd became busy with clamor and commotion; Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Andesine burying her face into Carnelian's shoulder, to which the red gem pet her hair in comfort and succor. Rhodi had sat herself on Lemon's head, glancing down at her from an aerial view, and holding the hand that rested on her leg. Even Tiger had stepped closer to me, allowing myself to lean into her for consolation.

As I looked back up from my gaze at the floor below, a small blue gem had stepped onto the stage and stood next to Pink Diamond.

"This," The authority spoke, placing one of her hands onto the back of the gem "Is Sapphire."

 _Oh, great..._

"If not for her, that lost ship full of our own kith and kin very well could have been us as well, had we been inable to change our course."  
Dark blue spots flushed Sapphire's cheeks.

 _Okay, okay, I'll admit, for a regal, shes not necessarily homely..._

 _"_ But, in doing so, the extent of journey has been prolonged indefinitely..."

Another roar of commotion

"To ensure the safety of us all due to the uncharted course we have to travel down, for however long, I have decided to enforce security measures that are to be taken and upheld by our troops." Pink Diamond removed her hand from the regal, and wavered it in the direction of A.

"CDR Amber has been so kind as to help me in arranging this."

Another bow and a _'Thank you, Commander'_ came from my immediate sector of warriors, and then, in acknowledgement to the Diamonds expectant expression, the larger mob of royals followed suit.

"With that, You are all dismissed. Guards and chaperon's will be assigned within the next half cycle; Thank you for your time..." The matriarch spoke, bowing to us all as we did her. The masses shuffled wistfully into their rooms within the atrium, the rest of us descending to the barracks.  
I began to leave with Lemon and the others, still in shock of the news, before we were stopped by T.

"Amber told us to stay here, didn't she?" The orange gem asked, to which we glanced at one another and then to the stage where Amber stood, talking to the Sapphire, Diamond, and the present Pearl.

We climbed the stage ourselves, Rhodi flipping off of Lemon's shoulders and onto the ground, grabbing hold of Amber's stout leg.  
As PD Glanced at us, we saluted and yet again bowed, receiving a curtsy in recognition.

 _They don't usually do that..._

Amber hadn't moved in the process of such, oddly enough. She usually had a thing for making sure to show the proper signs of respect at the right times.  
 _I guess she's gotten close with PD or something..._

She turned to us, Rhodi resuming the grip on her calf.  
"I have orders for you guys too"  
"Like what?" Carnelian asked hoarsely, one of her arms draped around a worry stricken Andesine, who's head was once more buried in her neck.  
"We" Amber gestured between all of us, including herself "Are in charge of watching Sapphire."  
" _What_?" I blurted out, my voice cracking. I felt a heavy hand rest on my shoulder, leading me to believe it belonged to Tiger; I didn't glance back to check if my assumption was correct or not, though. It wasn't important.  
"You heard me." Amber barked back; she was obviously under a lot of pressure if she were biting back hard enough to make me jump.

As the others chatted with Amber about the orders, I tuned them out and began to stare at the Sapphire, who stood, staring at the floor, next to Pink Diamond; of whom was busy discussing a hologram projection with her Pearl.  
The Blue gem's masked face lifted, and, if I could have seen it, probably made eye contact with me.  
Her lips parted as my gaze widened and shot back in the direction of Amber.

After a small silence, the regal spoke.  
"Amber, I really don't think it's necessary for you to waste your troops on me." Her small voice fissured as she quickly walked over to A.  
"Sapphire, I assure you it is." Pink Diamond spoke before Amber got the chance "You are not a waste of protection. You deserve to be guarded just as everyone else does" The pink gem smiled.  
"I don't-"  
"Sapphire, PD's right; it's not a problem." Amber said, her worrisome expression shifting to sympathy.  
The blue royal said nothing, bowing to the Diamond and then speedily climbing stairs and entering her room.

 _Good..._

Amber and PD exchanged glances, before A nodded, saluted, and began to usher us away and off of the stage; Pink Diamond and her Pearl continued to whisper as they entered the gargantuan, rumbling doors.

"Amber?" I asked, grabbing her hand.  
She looked at me, concern quickly contorting into anger, and then into a blank visage. She continued to walk with the group, leaving me to stand behind, alone.

I stood in a daze for a moment, before seeing her turn back to me through my peripheral.

"You have first watch." She called out, tossing a key in my direction, it sliding across the tile and pausing just in front of my feet.

 _Great..._


	10. Don't Look At Me

**Have some angst...but, just know, there's a lot more of it coming next chapter. Call this a " _teaser",_ if you will.**

* * *

 ** _R-_** _I 'gotta admit, Amber's smart._

 _Turning the tables from being the babysitter to making the "baby" sit...in a room for 8 hours without doing a goddamn thing._

 _Yeah. Smart._

It took Amber pushing me from the comfort of my bed to get me to go watch the regal.  
I yelled from fright as I slipped from cover and onto the tile with a loud thud.

"Ruby~ Wake up...!" She chanted, squatting down to push the hair out of my face as I lay on the floor  
I groaned loudly, pushing her wide smile out of my face with my palms, getting up to tighten my headband and situate myself; rubbing my eyes to adjust to the light.  
"Good mornin'" A hummed, to which I rolled my eyes as she spoke again, crossing her arms and leaning against the bedpost "Ready for your first day on the job?" Letting out a long sigh before I spoke, my head tilted back. "What exactly am I even supposed to do all day?" I asked, shoulders bouncing up in question "Just sit in the same room as her, or what?"

Amber chuckled, extending a single loose hand and flipping it, palm up "Essentially, yeah."

I groaned, trying to extinguish the small flame beginning to flicker in the back of my throat. "I can't believe your actually making me do this..."  
I began to leave the barracks, grabbing the same key that was thrown at me the day before in Amber's anxious fury; hearing her muster under her breath as I departed;

"You'll thank me later...

I realized she probably didn't expect/want me to hear her, exactly; so I answered anyway.  
"No, I wont!" I yelled, turning my head so she would hear it at full volume, along with everyone else in the room. To which, of course, an annoyed scoff was directed back. Playful banter, with a hint of disdain mixed in, for good measure.

I wandered sleepily, yawning every few minutes or so as I made my way through hallway after hallway, twirling the key around my finger to ease the boredom that practically ate me alive. The trek from her room to my barracks was too long for a gem with short legs and zero patience...  
Why did they put the atrium so far from the barracks? Were the royals afraid of being _tainted_ by us or something? _Jeez_...

Once I got to the open space, I turned a couple times in slight awe as I walked, noticing it's artistry and enormity, of which I hadn't the day before. Guess I wasn't paying too much attention to it all. And, because of just how vast it was, it too took me a long while to travel through.

The stairs weren't any easier a task to handle, seeing as I nearly needed to use my hands in order to climb the steps. It felt like an entire cycle had passed when I finally reached the third floor.  
 _Damn these short legs..._

 _Room 300,_ the numbers read.

Before I could try to force the key into the door, it began to rise and insert itself without needing a helping hand. But, even then, was beaten-to-the-punch when the regal on the other side opened the door herself.

"Hello." She greeted, not looking down as she grabbed the lodged key and extended her hand to give it back to me.  
"Yeah, Hi." I retorted, snatching it from her and shoving it in my pocket.

What I could see of her face scrunched up in response as she remained in the doorway, unmoving.  
I scoffed, shifting my weight to one foot, "Are you gonna let me in or...?"  
"Oh, right..."She whispered, stepping to the side to swing the door open wider, clinging to it's side.

The flooring in her room was the same as the semi-transparent crystal that made most of the walls on the ship, though this room was tinted a dark blue to match her.  
It glowed persistently, being the only light source the space needed.  
As I stepped in, it shifted to a deep purple color, the walls morphing from the blue, to the purple, then red, and then repeating the pattern.

 _Weird._

A stretched window adorned with ivory curtains took up the wall opposite the entryway, showcasing the sparkling galaxy whizzing by; underneath the area of the window, the floor was raised ever-so-slightly, almost like a small stage. Seemed more of an aesthetic thing, though. A short, skirted, alabaster bed took up another wall, A Diamond-insignia lay in the form of a rug in the center of the floor. Across from it was a hologram screen, communicator and small table, with tall white chairs on either sides of it.  
The room seemed pretty standard, the only especially glamorous item being the glass chandelier that hung in the center of the ceiling, reflecting the changing colors of the walls, though delayed, remaining blue as the rest of the room morphed into the next sequence.

I hummed, assuming a seat in one of the white chairs, crossing my arms and legs as I examined the rest of the room.

I noticed, after a while, that the regal still hadn't moved from her spot, except for having closed the door behind me when I entered. Her hands were placed over one another in front of her skirt, wrinkling it with their weight. Her long aqua locks were on either sides of her chest, extending nearly to the floor as they covered the huge diamond symbol, white collar, and multi-tinted layers of her conservative dress.  
She had changed from the pointy shoulder pads she wore at the meeting into the spherical, poofy ones I had first seen her in. Her apron was still long, running down most of her dark blue skirt, a small blue diamond glittering at it's end point, matching the ones on her gloves and the end seams of her shoulder pads.

Her bangs, still covering most of her face, shifted lightly as she lifted her head and looked in my direction, causing me to break from my examination to stiffen and stare back.

I sneered, shaking my head to force the heat away from my cheeks as I picked up my chair and placed it in front of the window, resuming my seat once more. This time, my head resting on one armrest and my feet propped up and dangling off of the other.

She sighed softly as I heard her hidden shoes click against the tile, followed by the sound of fabric shifting.

 _What a waste of my time..._

* * *

 **S-** _I know why she's like this, now, but that didn't make it any easier to bear._

 _Especially when the visions I had because of her didn't match up to the hatred she bore towards me . Though less intense as before, still present in her demeanor._

When they bombarded me this time, however, I placed myself on the farthest side of the bed, out of her sight.  
Not that she was going to _actually_ watch me while she was here anyway...

At least I knew that I would go limp and not..well, berserk, with the visions I had lately; context as to what my disassociated reaction in reality was to be helped me plan for them.

These ones didn't take over right away like I had known them to either, slowly fading into my mind instead of jostling it.

 _That's new..._

* * *

 _The faint sound of shoe hitting crystal, mixed in with giggles, sighs, and the rustle of cloth  
Twist, turn, step, repeat. Twist. Turn. Step. Repeat._

* * *

 _A bright, consuming light._

 _Fleeting, gone within seconds._

 _Alone again._

* * *

 _A warmth settled in my cold hand; new and uncharted territory._

 _Not alone. Not anymore._

* * *

I was lying on my side when my eye shot open as I gasped (though, promptly placing my palm over my mouth to keep quiet), my bangs pulled away from their usual place by the gravitational pull of the world around me.

I sat up dizzily, turning around to place my hands on the edge of my bed, lifting my head so I could glance over at the Warrior.  
She remained in the same, side seated place as before, her arm propping her head up as she glanced out the window.

I floated from my spot on the floor, resting myself in the center of the bed, staring at the wall in front of me for a moment, before turning to look at her once more.

 _Should I say something? I feel like I should say something..._

She shifted in her chair, startling me slightly, removing her arm from its place under her chin, tucking it close to her person as she turned towards the body of the chair. Her head was now turned towards me as it lay on the armrest, her closed eyes in my line of sight, unblocked by the seat, unlike the rest of her face.

Her eyes and expression lay relaxed, as she was most likely indulging in dormancy. I couldn't help but stare, my cheeks filling with warmth.

 _Why her..?_

My thoughts were interrupted by her eyes quickly opening, staring back at me, widening with surprise. My blush burned harder as I turned my head down.

She scoffed, sliding off the seat and onto the floor in front of it, returning her attention to the window.

 _Why...why her?_


	11. Don't Call Me That

**All aboard the angst train.**

 **Also, It took me until now to realize a schedule isn't going to work for me, and since I've been pumping out chapters really fast these past few days, I'm returning to the whole _I upload when I upload,_ dynamic; Maybe I'll take another shot at scheduling later, but for now, they'll kinda just happen when they happen.**

* * *

 _ **S-** Weeks passed, going by quickly yet so terribly slow; complete dissension. _

_Ruby, as per Amber's orders, became the predominant gem to supervise me, which, of course, infuriated her._

 _Sure, Tiger, Amber, and even Lemon and all of them had come, their visits being much more pleasant, but none of them stayed with me for as many shifts as Ruby had._

 _Tiger gave me her word that she would warm up to me soon enough (no pun intended), but it seemed as though the elemental wasn't an easily swayed gem._

 _Each day that she was on duty passed in deafening and agonizing silence; with her staring out the window, not saying a thing, myself remaining mute as well._

 _I had grown quite tired of it, frankly. Her presence alone generated batch after countless batch of visions; all of them, for some inexplicable reason, about her._

 _If she were to inevitably become a "main character" in the life I were to have in the future, then why was there no progress being made in present day?  
It still didn't make sense, and I sat dumbly through it all, not knowing how to advance time, either._

 _Stuck in the same place, day after day._

 _I had to do something though, right?_

* * *

A month into the trip and Ruby's visitation had created a schedule we both subconsciously followed: She arrives when each new cycle begins, I open the door as she climbs the stairs, and we promptly sit in the same spot for hours on end. Some days the pattern changes; she'll switch from a seat in one of the chairs, to the windowsill, to the corner of the room, or even to standing just outside the door. I report my visions to Pink Diamond's Pearl all the while, the ones that didn't involve Ruby, of course; because, like I said, she didn't need to know about _those_...

 _But today in particular, the stillness of the room began to wear me down, mostly due to the lack of visions to even remotely busy me. Enough was enough._

As a force of habit, floating to and from the bed on which I sat was my normal "mean of travel", but today, I decided to mix things up a bit.

 _(Talking to her was definitely "mixing it up". Best to keep with the theme.)_

I crawled to one side of the bed, sliding off of it feet first, my dress balled in fists so as to not trip on it upon landing. Glancing up, I came to realize that she hadn't even deterred from her gaze into space (literally).  
Slowly, I walked over to the right side of the windowsill, resting myself in the corner. Finally, though without turning her head, eyes met where mine was hidden away, and quickly shifted back to stare at the galaxy. She was blushing again, and, subsequently, so was I.

 _I had my reasons for it; though, most of them reactions to what I knew was to come in the future; But, I didn't really know why she was flushed._

Allowing myself to stare for a moment, I took notice as to how the color refused to fade from her face, and how she had turned in an attempt to mask it.

 _That won't help..._

I began to look out the window to mimic her, carefully thinking about what to say, so as to not exacerbate the problem at hand.

 _Don't ruin this, Sapphire..._

"It's weird, isn't it...?" I asked, twisting my body to face her, my back leaning against the edge of the window.  
She turned quickly, looking at me up and down before furrowing her brows and frowning.  
"What is?" She responded, seeming genuinely confused; her shoulders lifting closer to her neck as she crossed her arms.  
"This. This whole mission. It's weird" Relaxing, I rolled my head to the left to look at the stars once more.  
A lull of silence, mixed in with a small sigh of bewilderment from the other side of the window was sounded.  
"Don't you travel all the time?" The warrior questioned, staring at me with puzzled eyes, afresh.  
"I was talking about you." I stated stoically, seeing her expression widen out of the corner of my eye. "I can imagine it to be weird for you: leaving Homeworld for the first time, being on the ship, actually going into battle; all of it."  
"Excuse me?" She snapped back, her hands in her lap now.

 _Oh no..._

"Who ever said we were going into battle?" Her neck angled, shooting her head forward "Who ever said this was my first time off Homeworld?"

 _Great...Good going, Sapphire. The one thing you were supposed to avoid.  
_ _Hope you're proud of yourself._

"I mea-I didn't..." I stammered, placing my gloved hands up in surrender.  
"What, you think I can't handle myself?" Leaning forward, she slammed her palms down onto the ground in front of her twisted torso, her legs remained slightly angled towards the window, cross-crossed over each other. She scoffed, turning to look towards the ceiling to her right, throwing her hands up in front of her, waving them harshly (During which, I noticed the gem in her left hand, opposite to where the one on my right had been hidden away. _That's...incredible...)_ "Oh, yeah, 'must be weird, little elemental probably can't deal with it all!', oh, _poor me_!" Her volume began to escalate. A breathy laugh laced her words together "Coming from the gem who needs to be watched all the time! I bet you don't even know how to fight! Let alone protect _yourself!_ "

 _Don't let her get to you; she's doing it on purpose..._

"Heck, I bet you don't even have a weapon yet!"

 _Don't do it...  
_

"Why are you acting so _childish_?!" I yelled back, slapping my empty hand against the crystal flooring on my side in order to assist in lurching myself forward.

 _Dammit, Sapphire..._

She turned back to me, her hair slamming into her face from the force of the movement; her eyes were creased with fury, her face flushing a deep red.  
"Who _exactly_ do you think you _are_ , _princess?"_ She wailed through probably the most furious of expressions.

I remained still, unmoving as I processed it all; _That vision...came true.  
_ Ruby continued to stare at me, absolutely boiling over, waiting for me to retaliate.

"Don't call me that." I muttered through gritted teeth, my face angled down but still looking through the glass pane next to me.  
"Don't call you what? _Princess?"_ She barked back, sitting on her knees now.  
"I _said_ , _don't_ call me that."  
"What? You are one! It'd be _oh-so-rude_ of me to call you by the wrong name, wouldn't it?!" Her voice absolutely drenched in mockery  
"That's _not_ my name."  
She laughed, placing a hand on the window "Might as well be!"

"Shut up!" I screamed, feeling cold begin to surround me "You're not the only sensitive one! So just _shut up!"_

It caught her off guard, shoving her back in surprise. It was a fleeting moment of peace, though. Her face quickly twisted into one of rage (and to a lesser extent, defeat,) as she stood up, steam pouring from her person; a loud grunt escaped her mouth as she stomped over to the door, quickly opening it and slamming it as hard as she could behind her. I'm surprised it didn't shatter it completely, to be honest.

 _Like I said; good going..._

I sat in place, staring at the door for a long while. And then, down at the floor as I rose to my feet.

 _I'm such an idiot..._

Walking closer to the doorway, I could still feel the searing heat that had faded from the rest of the room.

 _Is she still standing outside?_

My hand clasped onto the small knob to open it, only allowing myself to open it a fine crack.  
Peering to the left, just next to the negligible opening, I saw a splash of red.  
She had her face in her knees as she sat against the wall, the steam that had been flowing from her now dancing down the balcony-way.

I closed it carefully as to not make a sound, standing dumbly with my hand still griping the latch.

 _Why didn't she leave?_

My sight locked onto the floor beside me, in the exact spot Ruby would be, had she been on this side of the room.  
And then I glanced behind me, only to find that my room was bright blue, every surface covered with ice.

 _Oh, what a surprise. Totally didn't see that one coming..._

To where the elemental was on the opposite side of the barricade, I sat, slumping against the frozen wall, (which only caused it to gloss over with a new sheet of frost) staring once more antrorse.

 _Now what am I going to do?_


	12. Inclusive

**I'm so sorry about uploading this chapter for the fourth time; I've been uploading on mobile and it keeps screwing up and posting with weird glitches! I'm back on my laptop and all is well, so sorry about that!**

 **I just wanted to start off this short chapter by saying a big "Thank you!" to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed the story so far! The constructive criticism helps me to improve this fic, and myself, as a writer, so it is all appreciated _immensely_!**

 **I noticed a recurring criticism pertaining to the _very_ rocky start, and fast pace of which I've been implementing: Rest assured, there _is_ a reason for this flood of information and drama at the get-go! And, yes! It _will_ level out; In fact, it _is_! Even today, in this very chapter![Please notice though, this fits under a dramatic genre, meaning the drama _will_ return _soon_!)**

 _ **{I thought I might note as well, that, due to the added perspective provided by her visions, Sapphire's POV is predominant over Ruby's. And yes, I know that when most authors write Rupphire fics, they do this as well. But, I'm going to be switching it more frequently in the future. For now, Sapphy's individualized perspective is important, and explains the "rocky start", too!}**_

* * *

 ** _S-_** It's o _nly the very beginning of a seemingly routine journey, and it already feels as though my life has taken a complete turn; be it for the better or worse, I'm not entirely sure._

 _A week passed after the fight between Ruby and I, leaving me in both shock of my own actions, lesser of hers, and more confused and frustrated than I had been before._

 _A week...and she was nowhere to be found._

 _Not by me, anyway._

 _Thirty-eight days into the indefinite voyage, and for the third time in a row, Amber had been the one to come and "supervise" me; it was pleasant, I won't lie. Her and I get along splendidly. But, the absence of the elemental left me feeling curiously lonely, nonetheless._

 _I avoided mentioning the quarrel to A, somewhat fearful of how she might aggravate her companion once more, as it was safe to assume she had come down from the heat and high of the argument, and of her own feelings as to how I had handled it. Which was, to be frank, quite terrible._

 _But, I didn't fail to bring it up solely for those reasons._

 _No, it was more than that..._

 _Something about me has changed ever since I met Ruby; Usually calm, composed, and patient, I've broken from my typical persona and snapped into one I hadn't ever come to know, prior to recent days.  
_ _I don't know why or how, necessarily, but that gem flipped some sort of metaphorical switch in me; one that I don't really know how to turn back off when we're in close proximity of one another.  
_ _When we're separated, though, I'm myself again...for the most part. The royal gem by which I'm "supposed" to be..._

 _But, In a way, I don't want to be that sort of gem, either.  
_

 _I don't want to have a fitting nickname of princess; But, perhaps it really was suited for me. At least, that's how Ruby perceived it; And maybe I sort of did too...?_

 _It's just...After getting glimpses of the two of us getting along so very well, laughing, and smiling, It's become absolute torture to know how much she dislikes me in the present. Because, to her, It was like I was stealing the ones she held so very close to her. That's just how she saw it to be. It's of course, not the case, but it was for Ruby.  
_

 _Like I said, I know why; Not that it makes it any easier.  
_

 _It's not as though it's entirely my fault. Despite my lashing out on her, it was still the vice of the gems who gave royalty a bad reputation, back in her early development; Back when she was so very impressionable, vulnerable and confused, according to Amber._

 _It really did feel like torture, these days..._

 _I'm not myself when I'm around her. A part of me, foolishly and oddly enough, kind of...likes it?; But_ _in the same sense, I hate seeing myself act this way._

 _Albeit, I still can't tell if it's all for the better or for worse;_ _Or even if she is._


	13. Knowledge is Power

**Monologue's aside, we return to yet _another_ Sapphire POV Chapter.**

 **I'm hoping as well that the trope of doing said monologue wasn't of bad taste. And really, even if it seems to be, I sort of enjoy slipping in "unique" things like that into my writing. The thoughts and internalizations of the characters I write for matter a lot when it comes to the story and plot. And, I felt that maybe a bit of overview was needed, as well as an explanation for the pace, for anyone who was taken aback by it all.**

 **You guys' comments, opinions, and suggestions are taken into consideration; The same goes for requests, so don't be shy to PM me if you have one!**

 **(By the way, Sapphire repeats the same word for a _reason_ in this chapter...Just a heads-up.)**

* * *

 _ **S-** Time travels slowly when you...miss, someone._

 _Amber made it easier, I suppose._

 _Not by much, but enough._

* * *

Much like the routine Ruby had subconsciously implemented when she supervised me, one developed between Amber and I as well. But...less coordinated, in a way.

 _She didn't arrive the same time each day, as she really had just come whenever it seemed that she had the free time; not upon a new cycle, nor the end of one either. She just...showed up._

Which, only further solidified my suspicions of her assigning Ruby to play caretaker in order to strengthen our relationship (Of which, didn't even seem to exist at the moment...) _It was tactful, I must say_...Her intelligence exceeded far beyond even the maximum expectation for gems of her statute; a characteristic that seemed under-appreciated, really.  
Another part of this so-called plan, when it came to her personal "work hours", was seemingly to give me the space she knew I needed (And _craved_ ), thankfully...

 _CDR Amber: Sympathetically brilliant._

Today in particular was quite...astonishing; And it was only a few minutes after she had finally arrived, after days upon days of absence, that it all unraveled itself, practically into my lap.

 _The perfect opportunity..._

* * *

 _Unlike Ruby, Amber sort of just...barged in; which usually involved door slamming and surprise appearances._

 _Not that I really cared..._

She opened the door quietly today, though; reaching up, nearly standing on her toes as she grasped for and released the handle.  
Her head was angled down at something, though quickly perking up to share a glance with me.

"Hey Sapphire" She smiled, looking through a couple lose documents she held in her hands as she walked in, still trying to maintain eye contact in between. "What're you up to?" Her accent thick, she asked delightfully, seating herself against one of the walls that connected to my window; It seemed more a polite interaction than a particularly questioning one, though.

"Nothing, really..." I murmured through a chuckle, staring down at my hands; my eyes shifting to look at the stout gem as my sentence tapered off.

Amber was looking at her notes again, growing quiet.  
"Oh..." She looked at me again, silent, until a small smirk took over her puffy cheeks, eyebrow's raised to match the expression.  
"Sounds pretty boring if you ask me"  
She tossed her notes neatly in front of her feet as one crossed over the other, her arms acting like a mirror as they repeated the action.

Another faint laugh escaped my mouth, a hum transitioning myself back into speech.

"Hm, well, you're not wrong."

A laughed from the corner, relaxing herself even further than she had been before. Her head seemed to rest clumsily into her collar and chest while she slumped.

 _There's no way that could be even remotely comfortable..._

 _"_ Seeing as you've _been_ doing a whole lot of nothin' for a while now" Only her face shifted to look in my direction; mine turning to do the same.  
"Maybe I could, like, tell you a story or somethin'...?"

"Well, we've got nothing better to do." I answered, offering a small smile.

 _Perfect..._

 _"_ Come, sit; Let me tell you some borin' ol' war stories, heh?" She motioned me over, to which I complied.

I'd decided on a no floating technique to get down from the bed for now. Made me feel...a bit less formal, I suppose.  
Again, lifting my dress as to not trip and fall.

 _That'd just be embarrassing..._

Sitting myself on my knees in front of Amber, pushing the papers aside neatly, she started to divulge what seemed to me like a complete life story...

 _She went on for what seemed like half of a cycle before she finished, relaxing into the spot of the window Ruby had rested in the last time we were together..._  
 _I stared at her blankly, not necessarily knowing what to say in the lull of quiet following her tale._

 _The opportunity was still mine for the taking; so who am I to let it pass?_

"What's Homeworld like?" I whispered, slightly startling her with my sudden diction.  
"What do you mean...?" She questioned hesitatingly "It's...homeworld; You've been there...Right?"  
"Of course I have...It's just, not like I know a lot about it." a small sigh broke my sentance apart: "They've sent me off planet for most of my existence, really."  
"Oh..."

 _More silence._

She leaned forward, back in my direction, arms resting in her lap before one hand rose onto a knee to hold her chin and head; her face wrinkling against her palm.  
"It's hard to explain...I mean, it's...home." She glanced up from the floor and back at me as I rested against the window. "What do you want to know about it?"

 _It wasn't a simply answered question; what did I want to know? The only response would have been everything and anything that I didn't already._

 _What's it like in the outskirts of the capital? What about the other gems? All the warriors, the civilians...everyone._

 _It felt shameful that I wasn't automatically educated on my own home planet, but it wasn't like I had a choice in not being there to experience it in real time.  
If I were to commit "treason" against the Diamonds by disallowing my services, I would surely have been crushed...  
_

 _Not much of a world to see when you're shattered..._

 _It's not like Amber was all-knowing and informed in the ways I needed her to be in order to sustain my curiosity; It'd be wrong of me to expect that of her.  
_

 _So, I didn't._

"What do you know...about foreseers?" Was my final inquiry.  
"W-What?" She retorted, her expression a mix of offense and bewilderment  
"You mentioned something about other gems with future vision; about how they aren't...'common'. What...what else do you know?"

 _I felt like a beggar asking all of this of her...But who else could I even go to for this?_

 _She looked at me strangely, almost with...empathy?_

"There aren't any for a reason..." She muttered under her breath, glancing out the window at her side. "You're the only one to submit your powers to the Diamonds... Before you, they went through countless other gems with future vision, and no one would do it. They...crushed them, naturally."

 _Another rush of quietude._

 _"_ As for anyone that tried to comply? Well, it's not like they could last that long. The pressure broke them before any of the Diamonds could do it themselves. I've heard that some of them were released...supposedly. But, my guess is that the poor things ended up going corrupt, if that myth is even true..."

 _No..._

"Future vision...isn't an easy burden...Is it?"

 _It almost sounded like she was in pain as she whispered_.

I let the numbness that surrounded us to take over, apart from the cacophony in my mind, a hum of activity from beyond the door the only sound to fill the room.

Amber moved as if she wanted to comfort me in my stillness; but I stopped her in her tracks before she got the chance.

 _The perfect opportunity...right?_

My face lifted with more force than intended, throwing my bangs from their place upon my eye; Surprise bit into the orange gem, much like it had of Pink Diamond.

 _Reason number one-hundred and thirty-seven as to why I hide my visage..._

"Do you think you could teach me to fight?"

 _Perfect..._


	14. Repeat

**An exciting chapter ahead (Ruby/Sapphire combined POV, just a heads up): Sorry for it having taken me so long to upload; I just got my Wacom tablet, which obviously kept me preoccupied for a while. Thank you guys for being patient!**

* * *

 _ **R-** Just...don't think about it; it's okay. _

_Who cares, anyway?_

* * *

 _Back on homeworld, there was always the option to take out your anger on another gem; but on a ship, and amidst an intensive journey? No; that was not the time..._

 _Besides, I'd grown out of rough housing and causing trouble. I'm bigger than that now._

 _Punching bags saw no mercy as a result of my maturity, though; and t_ _raining arenas had become my happy place, on planet, and the ship.  
_ _Home is home, after all._

 _And, thankfully, with another day away from the brat, another day spent the way I wanted to spend it._

 _Today wasn't any different...  
_ _Not until now, that is._

* * *

 _ **S-**_ _This better turn out the way it's supposed to..._

Amber wanted to begin our training as soon as possible; completely contradicting my expectation of her disregarding the idea, and instead becoming absolutely ecstatic over it.

"As soon as possible" apparently also meant the beginning of the very next cycle...

And, of course, during the exact same slot of time by which Ruby was occupying the arena.

 _Good move, Commander; good move..._

She had her reasons for it, I'm sure.

 _Just like I had mine._

Not that Ruby was all too happy with it, though.

 _But really, what choice did she have? It's not like she can avoid the inevitable.  
And neither could I._

* * *

 ** _R-_** _Another day..._

 _Of course she had to mess this up for me too. It's what she seems to do best, after all._

 _You'd think we'd be in a better place after the time we've spent together. A place where she doesn't ravage my life._

 _Think again._

I paused from my rhythm (punch, kick, jab, repeat...) to glance from around the heavy bag, only to have my eyes met with the sight of Sapphire and Amber.  
Promptly after my initial and quite bewildered stare, Tiger and the rest of our group made an appearance from around the corner.

 _Great. J_ _ust...great._

 _They're doing this on purpose, aren't they?_

I turned back, nearly hiding behind the heavy bag once more.

Sadly, though, that alone wasn't enough to avoid being seen.

My name was promptly called by none other than the gem who got me into this mess in the first place, her accent thick and bellowing through the metallic room.

 _Not like I can pretend she didn't see me._

 _I'm not one to hide from Amber anyway..._

Tossing my head back and groaning, I stepped from the obstruction, allowing my weapon to fade into sparkling-nothingness.  
My eyes stared defeatedly at A, almost to say " _Okay, you caught me"_.Unconsciously, my gaze shifted to Sapphires as she stood with her hands crossed in front of her apron. Then, to Tiger, Lemon, and everyone else's, who all looked at me happily, strangely enough. A bit of awkward exchanges in eye contact made me speak up, as I quickly dismissed the bubble welling up in my throat with a small cough:

"What're you guy's doing here...?" My eyes locked with the royal's bangs (where I _assume_ her eyes are) as I spoke  
"Well..." Amber interrupted my thoughts by placing an arm around the blue gem, who looked really uncomfortable with the exchange in her stiffness amidst the hug.  
"Sapphire's 'gonna train with us" She finished, a wide smiles creasing across her face with her eyes crinkling into near nothingness.  
"Surprise!" Lemon and Rhodi chimed in, waving their hands comically.  
"Wha-What?" I questioned, sounding more surprised than I intended to.

 _This is damn near offensive..._

 _"_ Yeah, our 'lil foreseer's gonna learn to fight" Tiger continued, chuckling at the small, excited gems to her side as she stepped behind Sapphire to place a hand on her shoulder in what _seemed_ to be pride.

 _Too proud..._

The grimace I made involuntarily made everyone rather unsettled as they exchanged glances with each other, and with the regal; though, she stood stoically, barely moving except for the parting of her lips.

 _Now's not the time to blush, Ruby..._

I don't even have a response for this...so I just...walked away.  
Past the heavy bags, the weights, and past the gems.

I didn't throw a fit like before. There wasn't any use in being mad.

 _They were...Well, trying._  
 _Trying to take my feelings into account, to involve me, and to get along with the regal._  
 _They aren't doing this to be pugnacious. They're...helping Sapphire._  
 _And, probably trying to help me by engaging her in my interests, quite honestly._

 _It was a good tactic, it_ _...sort of worked, but I was still upset about it; it was still hard not to be..._

 _Should I be?_

They didn't chase after me, or call or yell. A small whisper of my name came from Amber, combined with sighs from the rest of them, but that was it.

 _Trying to help...Trying not to force._

Right before I could even try to activate the lift, I heard the familiar speech from Amber and T that I haven't heard in what felt like a whole millennium.  
Which, of course, distracted and interested me.

 _This is a dumb move..._

The words faded together when I pivoted my head around the corner to find A and Tiger standing side by side in front of the gems, Sapphire standing front and center of the bundle.

"Fighting isn't about physical strength entirely, but a combination of it mentally and emotionally too. To learn to fight and to be _good_ at it, you have to be more than your external attributes. To be a warrior, comes from inside. From the very core of your being. Though, the strength _does_ help..." Tiger paused from her educational lecture to take stance with the stout commander, her face still angled towards the group, yet away from where I stood in the entryway "Allow me to demonstrate"

A bow was given as their gems began to glow; A look of awe seemed to grasp onto Sapphire, while everyone else had an expression of boredom planted on their faces.

Amber's form changed from her original CDR and uniform attire into her training garb as she twisted, pivoted and nearly danced into the change; the same going for T.

Their outfits were nearly identical besides the color schemes, both similar, in a way, to the jumpsuits by which the head servant Pearl had worn when we first saw her.

Both of them looked into the face of their opposite as they broke from their transformation and into the spar, gems still aglow (and, at this point, Amber's hair had lifted from her non-existent second eye to expose the gem)

Tiger threw the first jab, Amber leaning from it quickly without even needing the assistance of sight as she bent below the fist. Tiger spun swiftly, the palms of her feet making a faint shuffling noise against the floor as she shifted to the back of A. They moved gracefully, it seemed, not making a single sound as they fell into the sync of their duo; ending their match with T grabbing A's small, chubby fist in her palm, their bodies intertwined neatly and symmetrically, as they turned to look at Sapphire with nothing short of ecstasy.

Of course, the group clapped, though the regal's response to it was quite delayed.

 _I guess it is sort of "amazing" to see warriors spar if you haven't before..._

The applause died down (and so did the hollering from Lemon) to let Amber speak once more.

 _"_ So" she breathed a pause as she slowly broke from the intermingled stance "It's time for practice, yeah?"

another lull, and Tiger was standing near the regal, her hands on her hips to accompany the wide grin of jagged teeth.  
"Sapphire...Who's your first victim?"

* * *

 **I'm going to break the "first day of training" chapter into two parts, so I can get some content out while I write; the next one is going to be _waayy_ more exciting (and hopefully not too fluffy), so I'm sorry to do this, but you're stuck with a cliffhanger for now!**


	15. Coming Around

**Forgive me for taking so long; busy scheduling and writers block is a very toxic combination.**

* * *

 _ **R-** __Okay, I know didn't hear their whole speech to the royal, but this wasn't their normal training routine that I'd become familiar with..._

 _Like, at all._

 _They...didn't usually let a trainee throw themselves into a fight this early on; especially not...her.  
I mean, she's a royal. She can't possibly have any prior knowledge about this kind of stuff...right?_

 _What's the rush, anyway?_

* * *

"My first...victim?" Sapphire asked stupidly

 _Sounds like she's nearly as confused as I am._

"Well, I guess it's not really a _victim_ , more-so a...dummy." Amber said chuckling, her arms proudly placed akimbo, face angled to the ceiling joyfully.

"Yeah, someone you get to beat on while 'ya learn the ropes" Rhodi added from Lemon's shoulders, resting her chin atop our friend's head.

"Well...I mean, I-I don't know..." The blue gem muttered, rubbing a hand down the length of her arm.

"I'll pick for you, then!" Amber squealed, quickly snapping her head towards me, shooting me a happy smile and stare from the corner of her eye

"And I know the _perfect_ candidate"

 _No..._

 _Please no._

"Hey, Ruby!" She yelled, turning her entire body towards me.

Everyone but Sapphire turned, surprised to see me; The royal seemed like she was unsurprising and...timid, about my not-so-stealthy eavesdropping.

"Hey Rube!" Rhodi and Lemon cheered, Rhodestite waving her hand viciously through the air, Carnelian, Tiger and Andesine only offering a smile from afar.

 _Yeah. They're doing this on purpose, alright._

I retracted behind the corner of the entrance, my face flushing the embarrassing maroon shade that it always did, everyone else's face filled with surprise and minor concern to my reaction

As they began to mutter and talk, eyes still on me, I quickly aligned my back to the wall behind the corner and out of sight.  
But, it didn't take long until I could hear footsteps coming my way as one of them left the quiet chatter circle.

"Ruby?"

 _Carnelian?_

"There you are." she smiled, her head and hand popping from around the entrance.

"Yeah, here I am..." I muttered, turning my head away and sliding to the floor, placing my arms around my knees and pulling them close.

 _Why Carnelian...?_

"Don't you wanna train?" She asked, stepping in front of me, one hand on her hip.

"No..."

"Why?"

 _"_ What do you mean, ' _why'?"_ I questioned after a pause, looking up at her from my huddle.

" _Why?_ You _love_ training; _especially_ with T and Amber. Who're you to pass up an offer to do it again? It's been _ages_. Isn't that why you stayed?" She answered, crouching down to my level with her arms crossed over the tops of her legs.

 _She was right, but..._

"Because _she's_ here!" I cried out; though, Carnelian wasn't taken aback by it any.

An eyebrow of hers raised, asking me silently to elaborate.

"She's... _Look_ , I know you guys are doing this on purpose: You're trying to get me to get along with her. First with the guarding, and _now_ , by involving her in stuff _I_ like..."

"We-"

I cut her off:  
"I _know_ it's _supposed_ to be helping me, all the forced interaction, I know, but it _isn't_...And you guys comfort me, _acting_ like you understand, and then go _right_ back to _forcing_ me...It doesn't make sense!"

"Ruby, I-"

"If I'm _supposed_ to get along with her, can't I do it on my own terms?" I hesitated, my eye's glossing over with tears.

She blushed, oddly, clearly bewildered, now.

My head was in my knees for a while before she shifted.

"Yeah, you can" She whispered, sitting in front of me, a hand placed on my shoulder.

"...What?"

"This is hard for you. We know that." She began: "We don't...don't _really_ know how to help you with this...Not even Amber know's what she's doing. None of us do. We've been trying really hard; we thought tough-love might do the trick, but...but I mean, you obviously know better than anyone how to move on from _this_ sort of thing... So, yeah. We'll let you do it on your own; we'll...stop, for good."

My face mirrored her fleeting shock.

"I'm sorry. _We're_ sorry, Rube. You don't have to train with her, if that's what you want. Nobody'll force you anymore, okay?"

"I-...Thank you." I smiled, rushing in to hug her.

' _Oof!'_ She sounded, chuckling and hugging me back.

Slowly, her head turned away from me, my gaze following, to find Andesine in the entryway, blushing ferociously when we locked eyes.

"Oh, Uh, I-I'm sorry, I..." The pale gem muttered, looking away quickly.

Carnelian giggled quietly, leaving the hug, but keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"Just so you know..." She whispered "Sapphire _did_ want to train with you. We didn't ask her to; She came to us about it."

 _"_ Really?" I asked, shocked, and maroon, again.

 _"_ Just...keep that in mind." She winked, standing up to leave and locking an arm with Andesine.

"And, Ruby?" Ande muttered before departing.

"Y-yeah?"

"Sapphire's really great. So, you know, when you _do_ come around, I promise you'll love her. I know we already do."

"Yeah...thanks."

"But, yeah, no...we should've let you figure that out on your own... I'm sorry too...we're all sorry."

"So's Sapphire, by the way." Carnelian added again.

"What?" I flushed again

"She told us about the fight, and wanted to apologize...Come around soon though, okay?" Carnelian said, smiling warmly.

"Yeah...okay..."

* * *

 **I hate explaining my writing because it ruins the magic but I was a bit iffy with this chapter.**

 **I really hope this doesn't seem too off plot because the point of this is to: A, show that Ruby's more open and B, to expand on her relationship with all of her friends. If it _seems_ off and illogical, like I've said before, I usually make more sense of it later.**


	16. Spurn

**I feel the need to continuously apologize for my terrible updating schedule; so, again, I'm so so very sorry. And, I also apologize for this short of a chapter.**

* * *

 _ **S-**_ _One can always thank the stars for Carnelian's insight and acceptance._

 _If it hadn't been for her, surely my opportunity would have gone to waste; could've been all for...nothing._

* * *

 _Though Ruby had been granted the ability to pry herself away from my presence, that didn't seem to mean she necessarily wanted to...not entirely, that is.  
_ _She knew now that Amber assigned her watch to force us to bond. But that didn't stop her from returning to her duty station well after she had been "dismissed"_

 _Several weeks went by, and with each passing cycle, Ruby made no mistake in returning to our previous schedule of timely meetings.  
She walks up the stairs, I open the door, and we sit in silence, again and again and again; repetitive, and, quite honestly, sort of comforting.  
Even the silence...especially the silence._

 _Largely, our argumentative stage had passed. Well, for the most part..._

No longer did she stare at me disdainfully, or grunt, laugh, or scoff at my diction and activity. Nor did she avoid eye contact, or any sort of conversation; every now and then, if I were to be so lucky, a small one would arise.  
 _Comforting_...

Even so, our interactions at her post varied _greatly_ from those shared in our training arena.

Days and days, upon weeks, upon _months_ of my training seemed to repel her from me; farther than it seemed even _she_ wanted to be repelled.

And, yet again, another repetition had been inflicted unto us all; not just myself and Ruby, but the group in its entirety.

* * *

Most days, my training consisted of a small party; Amber, Tiger, and myself.  
On the cycles in which I _was_ granted _actual combative_ practice, aside from the logistical and skill education I received otherwise, Lemon, Rhodestite, or Carnelian would act as my partner.  
Of course, Andesine standing on the sidelines, as to give moral support.

Naturally, the support was granted unto myself, seeing as I was a rookie in such nature. But, that was only during the times by which I _wasn't_ sparring with Carnelian; when that had been the case, Andesine instead sat wincing, screeching, and whimpering in the name of my opponent's safety.

 _No time could be spared to reinforce and motivate when one is worried about their companion, I suppose._

"Oh... _oh_! CeCe, be _careful_!" she whimpered one day, nearly brought to tears with worry.

Slightly amused, I turned to a blushing and awkwardly-chuckling Carnelian for an answer; she stopped, turning and breathing heavily in the direction of her friend before speaking:

"Ande, two things. One, I'm _fine_. It's not like Sapphire's gonna _smash_ me into the ground" she laughed, looking at me as if to say " _You won't do that...Right?"  
_ "And two..." she began to whisper, angling her neck closer to Andesine and farther from the group "We _talked_ about the ' _CeCe'_ thing..."

Of course, Andesine nodded furiously in acknowledgment and embarrassment, sitting quietly in the corner afterwards; clearly having to use all of her willpower as to not to react and wail.

* * *

Although the arena almost seemed to glow with comradery, Ruby seemed to want no part in any of it.

Each time she entered the arena, she stopped in her tracks upon seeing me. One could tell that when she had seen _just_ our group of friends, excluding myself, she would grow excited and joyous; her elation quickly burning out entirely if I was to be found alongside them after the fact.

It wasn't a singular instance, either; it was nearly _every single day_ that we endured the pattern of her arrival and near immediate departure.

The repetition of her disappointment and angry expression pulling us all from our work to discuss, sigh, and grow sad ourselves. It was all a mutual sympathetic feeling we emitted to the elemental each time she groaned, threw her hands up in defeat, and left.

It grew tiresome for all of us, especially myself.

 _Until, one day, she finally...came around._

* * *

 **Two things:**

 **First off, I forgot whether or not I discussed my time zone in comparison to most of you all; So, I live on Guam currently, and am about fourteen hours _ahead_ of Eastern Standard time, so that might be why I upload chapters in what seems to be either the god-forsaken early morning or a weird hour in the middle of the night. Just thought I'd explain myself in that regard.**

 **Secondly,** **I come baring good news, and partial-proper scheduling!**

 **If things turn out the way I want them to, "** **Counterparts" _should_ be finished by the time SU comes off of hiatus in January, since I plan to do most of my more _demanding_ writing during my winter break. All I have to do now is push myself to write more often for you guys, since I know how painful it is to have to wait for new chapters; _trust me, I've been there._**

 **Anyway, just thought I'd inform you guys of my projected timeline; and stay tuned, Chapter seventeen will be out by Sunday!**


	17. Proximity Pt1

**This chapter's a big one; prepare yourselves.**

 **Oh, also, to help you make sense of it since it seems sorta like a plot-hole without context or intuition, Ruby says something during said incident because she's been discussing Sapphire's training with the gang prior to this chapter and sort of "behind the scenes"; you''ll see what I mean later.**

* * *

 _ **R-** It's not like I enjoy the isolation..._

I'd completely lost track as to just how long I'd been holding up this shtick, but didn't fail to remember how much of a daily annoyance it had become, even though _I_ was the one in control of it...  
And, although I didn't _have_ to watch the royal, I knew it was for my own good to flood myself with her presence, nonetheless, seeing as I didn't really know of any other method to use to acclimate myself to her...

 _Amber's would have to do._

 _But...It's not like I could keep it up forever, right?_

* * *

 _ **S-** Another day, another lesson._

 _And today's was supposed to be the best I would come to encounter, according to Tiger._

 _Weapon training._

 _After all the sparring, gem history, and various other educational lessons I'd been through thus-far, it was exhilarating to be altering our constant rigmarole; even if it was just minor._

 _But, everyone assured me that this would "change everything"._

 _As if a royal gem taking up the qualities and mannerisms of a warrior wasn't "revolutionary" enough..._

* * *

"Alright, ready to get started?" Tiger beamed down at me, her hand resting on my shoulder as we walked through the arena's entryway.  
"I suppose" I smiled back, quickly spinning into the glowing light of my training garb, just as T flashed into her own; though, ours varied, aesthetically speaking.  
"Oh~ Sapphy, you're gonna love it!" Amber sang, picking up a small Rhodestite and planting her atop her head.  
"Wanna just start with the basics, or dive right in with some sparing?" Carnelian offered  
She'd become a teacher in the same sense that Tiger and Amber had already been, seeing as she grew up alongside Ruby and took the second-place stance upon the hierarchy for _'best student'.  
"_Perhaps the basics would be best..." I answered back, still weary about sparring without proper training in the logistics of the matter. And, because, embarrassingly enough, I'd harmed everyone within our group on _more_ than one occasion while sparring...

"Sure thing" Responded Amber, Rhodi giggling quietly as she watched Lemon make ridiculous faces at her. "Let's start off with a basis explanation, yeah?"  
"I'll go first!" Tiger beamed once more, coughing into a balled fist before beginning on her tangent

"To summon a weapon is to pull every ounce of power you house within your gem, _from_ your gem." The towering warrior smiled contently as she circled me, a finger pointed to the ceiling matter-of-factly. "But, as _simple_ as it sounds, being able to do so doesn't come naturally to everyone, and-"

"It was easy for me..." sounded a small chuckle from behind our circle.

The lot of us turned in shock to find Ruby leaning against the farthest wall, near the exit, her face angled to the floor.

"Ruby...!" Amber gasped, slowly lifting Rhodestite from her head, and into the outstretched hands of a bewildered Lemon.

"Look who finally came around" Carnelian warmly said, stepping out of our gathering and closer to the elemental, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Took you long enough..."

Ruby responded with a short laugh, rolling her head slightly upwards.

"Sapphire..." she muttered, her head still down.

 _Something within me rendered my form unable to move or respond..._

"Why're you letting them teach you so... _funny_?" she continued, finally raising her face to offer a small smile to me and to look expectantly at the group.

 _She really is unpredictable..._

 _"Funny_ _?!"_ Amber retorted angerly "We're teaching her _just_ fine!"

"Well, it's not how you taught _me..."_ the red gem continued to smile, walking into our formation and crossing her arms.

"Ruby, Sapphire doesn't learn like you do" Carnelian said, unvarnished. "She's better with the logistical side of it more than the tactical"

"Summoning a weapon isn't the same, that's something you learn _without_ all the smart-stuff" Ruby rebutted.

"Well-" Amber began again, promptly being interrupted.

"Sapphire, listen. Sparring is the best way to find out how to get pull your weapon; don't you want to do it the easy way?"

"Rube, stop bargin' in!" Tiger retaliated

A small standoff arose between them, T and Ruby staring at each other dryly.

 _She has a point..._

Everyone then turned to face me with blank expressions.

 _Did I say that out-loud?_

"Yes; You did..." Andesine smiled from behind Carnelian, causing me to blush and stiffen.

"See, I told you!" Ruby grinned, making a smart face at T.

"Well...I guess going against Ruby's our best bet" muttered Carnelian.

"How so?" I questioned, though I had a _pretty_ good grasp on the answer...

 _"_ Because Ruby's the best at it!" Rhodestite answered "She got hers out before she even _started_ warrior-training with Amber and T"

"Ruby is sort of an aficionado of all things combative" Lemon added  
"That's putting it lightly..." whispered Andesine

I turned to look back at Ruby, her face flushed a deep shade of maroon as she stared at her palm, clenching it tightly and grinning; Amber stepping beside her to bump her shoulder lightly and smirk haughtily.

Tiger sighed, mirroring A's simper "I guess we'll let our little expert take over for today..." she snickered softly, bumping into Ruby like Amber had.

* * *

 _ **R-** Letting the student be the teacher...that's more like it._

Sapphire and I stepped to the nearest sparring platform, it lifting into into the air to hover nearly an entire story above the floor. Nothing but the light emitted from twinkling stars, shining in from the ceiling's windows casted down, throwing shadows in nearly every direction. The assorted hues of Sapphire's combat form and now up-done azure locks were faded heavily beneath the blanket of the dusk.  
As the platform locked into place, someone on the ground activated a switch to brighten the room, letting me get a good glance at the royal before we began. Which let me finally realize how different she now looked.  
The light, angled apron she usually wore hung above her now exposed legs, a much darker shade than it usually was. In fact, her _entire_ color palette was askew from her normal, orderly attire. Small, dark blue boots held her petite feet, matching the base of her top, the center of which was white, and housed the diamond insignia. Her gloves, usually running up the length of her arms, were now short, and lined with the same color as her poofy-pant legs and shoulder pads. Everything about her now was... _quite_ different. Even the expression on her face reflected uncertainty, yet matched with what seemed like... _enthusiasm_.

"Ready?" I asked quietly, offering a small smile to the blue gem as she took the custom warrior stance.

 _She does it better than A, and she's a downright extremist when it comes to perfection..._

 _Damn..._

The royal nodded, smiling, and quickly shaking her expression away to offer another serious look.

Before I could even grasp what was happening, she began to run at me faster than I had ever seen any gem go, and _much_ quicker than my eyes could follow. Within less than a second, a gloved fist was flying at my face. Though my mind had failed to assist in movement, my reflexes shifted my form to the side and away from the royal's white hand. And, of course, another fist followed suit with my pivot; I noticed in a short-lived pause amidst the flying of fists, that my throat had gone aflame; with shock or with frustration, I couldn't tell. Using the length of my arm, I threw aside her palm, and took a jab myself. But surely enough, the blue gem swiftly dodged it.

It went on like that for what felt like eons, until my patience ran out and my gem began to burn; with a grunt and blow, a glove appeared onto my closed hand, making catastrophic contact with nothing but the platform tile; of which, was now broken and scattered about, leaving a deep, sizzling indent.

Though it wasn't painful in the least bit, I couldn't help but let out a noise that sounded like an amalgam of a scream and growl.

 _Picking myself up, and noticing my limbs fogged by steam, I still couldn't help but laugh._

"Where's that weapon of yours, _huh_?" I questioned the royal, who stood almost in front of me, still standing with her hands caging and protecting her face.  
"Don't need it" she smirked back, pulling her hair into two sections and yanking the ribbon that held them tighter to the back of her head.

 _Smart ass.._

"That's what you think..." I muttered, angerly pulling my arms closer to my body, summoning a second glove onto my left hand, wiping the sly visage from her face and altering it into one of awe and confusion; and making her glance at her right hand briskly.

 _Her...hand?_

She resumed her position before rapidly closing the space between us; giving me just enough time to realize her intention and move out of the way, stomping as hard as I could on the platform, causing her to be thrown from her footing and slamming her onto her side.

She shook as she attempted to lift herself from the ground, glancing up at me fearfully.

"Still don't need it?" I taunted back, mirroring her previous smirk.

Her face scrunched, cheeks burning a blue shade even darker than her attire as she stood again weakly, nearly falling over in a dizzied panic. Her hair frenzied, and her outfit scorched from the heat of the floor.

"What, you can do it, _can't you_?"

"I don't-" She tried to start again as she stared at the floor, not noticing at first that I had begun to run at her as fast as my short legs could carry me.

 _Damn these stumpy things..._

 _"Ruby!"_ Amber yelled from below

"Rube, take it easy!" added Carnelian in a subdued hysteria.

I struck again, ignoring them, and, _of course,_ my fist meeting nothing but the flooring

 _Damn, damn, damn...!_

The royal stood up behind me as I noticed a small frost beginning to envelope the very floor beneath my palms.

 _What the...?_

I angled my head quickly, my face covered nearly entirely by my mop.  
"Get on with it, _princess_!" I barked at her _"Don't you wanna win?"_

 _This is the only way she'll be able to do it..._

 _T, Amber, all of them have been waiting for her to get her weapon out forever now; she's not 'gonna learn any other way..._

 _They need me for this._

 _She needs me for this..._

More frost began to envelope the floor, and as I turned myself more, I noticed that ice had encased the Royal's hands, my eyes widening instinctively with fear.

 _Oh.  
Oh no..._

As quickly as I could, I tried to stand, but was instantly stopped by a small boot being buried into my chest, forcing me back into the ground. My eyes opened to find Sapphire standing above with a dark shadow encasing her entirely, snow whisping around the platform in a horrific storm.  
Her hands were glowing a blinding cobalt, most of the ice covering it now floating in the air above me.

The icicles began to close in on my face, morphing into bright, sparkling knives.

Closing my eyes once more and turning my face as far away from the daggers as I could, I felt Sapphire sit atop my chest, forcing me to take yet another look at her; she was inches from me, and as she grew closer, her long bangs parted, to reveal the face I'd been pondering about for as long as I met her.

But, it wasn't anywhere _near_ what I had always expected to find.

A single eye was planted in the dead center of her face, and it was...

 _Her expression...wasn't of violence, but of...a strange calm and...seriousness; a small smile accompanying it._

When she was as close as two gems could possibly be, she spoke, her voice hushed and gleeful.

 _"This wasn't supposed to be a competition, but...I guess the princess wins."_


	18. Proximity Pt2: Backpedal

**Expect the unexpected**.

* * *

 ** _R-_** _Look,_ _I know myself pretty well, but even I'm surprised at my reactions sometimes..._

I remained, both literally and metaphorically, frozen to the platform tile, with Sapphire still seated upon my abdomen.

Slowly, her face pulled away from my own, creating space amidst the tension; but, she remained smiling and focused on me. And, seeing as I'm unable to actually _look_ at myself, even I didn't necessarily know _what_ I was expressing. From my dumbfounded perspective, it was as if alarm, irritation, and awe had fused into a single feeling.

 _There should be a word for that..._

Eventually, the regal broke the silence as she got up from her seated position, quietly snickering and shaking her head lightly in amusement; myself remaining on the ground as she did so.

 _What just..._

After finally getting to her feet, she extended a slender, delicate blue hand down to me, offering to help me get up as well. My eyes locked on her cloth-wrapped palm, of which I now noticed was encrusted with a small, glittering blue gem; the opposite hand by which my own was housed.

 _How long has that been there...?_

Propping myself onto an elbow, my gaze shifted to her face, now hidden like it usually was by her long bangs. Eventually, I took it upon myself to accept her assistance, grabbing her palm with the hand alternate to her own.  
She quickly yanked me to my feet so as to have me stand directly in front of her; and, after an awkward glance, the blue gem finally spoke again:

"No hard feelings?" She smiled through her hair.  
But, even if I had wanted it to, my amazement failed to dwindle.

She continued to beam as she stepped and twisted towards the edge of the platform, angling herself into view as to speak with the gems below us.

"You can lower the platform now...!" She bellowed softly, waving a hand to signal them of her request.

And, surely enough, the dais began to descend; Sapphire still looking over the edge, her back to me as I continued to ogle.

When the arena had finally clicked back into place, my gaze of wonderment was mutually met by all of my comrades; Rhodosite and Lemon seemed the most excited, bouncing and shaking in their boots.

Another moment passed before the shrill squeals of the aforementioned rang through the halls.

"Sapphire, Sapphire! _Oh my stars_ , that was _amazing_!" the smallest of our party cried, grabbing one of the regal's palms and waving it up and down in elation.  
"How did you even do that!?" Lemon added, vigorously shaking Sapphire's shoulders, to which, the already blushing blue gem seemed to become dizzy from.

I stayed put as I watched the commotion from afar.

"I'm so proud of you!" Carnelian smiled, running forth and throwing herself into an embrace with the regal; Andesine quickly joining in as well.  
Tiger and Amber's visages were remained stunned for a fleeting instant before being casted away, the two walking in the direction of the gleeful bundle.

T hastily turned to A and chuckled, punching her in the arm jovially "See, I _told_ you! I _knew_ she could do it!"  
Amber promptly hitting her in the calf and replying sheepishly: " _We_ knew you could do it!"

Sapphire chuckled lightly, her inflamed cheeks still burning as she swiftly turned back to glance at me, her simper flipping and fading into a frown as she returned to the group that had released her from their grip and had begun to question her once more.

"No, but seriously, how in the world _did_ you even manage to do that so _easily_?" Carnelian asked, one of her arms akimbo on her extended hip.

"Well, I-"

"Was it because you were scared or somethin'? Ruby _always_ scares me when we fight!" Rhodi yelped, uninterruptedly.

"No, it's-"

"Oh, yes, that's true. When Rube gets into it she can be _pretty_ intimidating" Andesine smiled "I pull my weapon out at the very _start_ of every sparring match with her, to be honest..."

"No, no...Ruby's actually-" Sapphire finally said, turning herself in my direction once more, still grinning "-an excellent partner."

Stunned, my face flushed a deep maroon, the regal's cheeks quickly following suit in the act.

"Well, duh! She's the best of the best!" Rhodi bleated, running over to me and smiling upwards in my direction before pulling me into a second group-hug.  
As I groaned, (seeing as my entire body was smushed in an entanglement of arms) a small laugh was released next to my ear, and, upon investigation, I discovered that it was Sapphire who had uttered the noise, her mouth forming another simper upon her exposure as my eyes widened once more.

After the huddle disbanded, my gaze lingering, locked on the regal, just as hers remained on me.

 _This...this is new..._

 _Shouldn't I be mad?  
_ _I'm supposed to be angry about this, right?  
She always pisses me off, so why..._

 _Why...why aren't I mad?_

I gulped down the flame caged within my chest and _oh-so-elegantly_ stuttered a response to my compliment.

"That...that was...really good, Sapph..." I smiled, one of my hands running up and down the length of my opposite arm.

Her head cocked as she continued to grin, the rest of our group looking at me in recurring shock, and now, felicity.

"Likewise" She muttered

* * *

 _I didn't think I would have a **total** change of heart so suddenly..._  
 _I-I figured it would have taken much longer than this, at least._

 _Guess I was wrong about...well, everything._

 _Surely I was wrong about her..._

* * *

 **Plot twist; Ruby's "kink" is good fighters.**

 **Just kidding.**

 _ **(not really.)**_


	19. Amity

**Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the near month's gap between chapters. I promise it won't happen again, seeing as I need to finish before the hiatus is lifted!** **I hope you can forgive me!**

* * *

 _ **S:**_ _A few days passed since my first sparing match against Ruby, and even though I could sense the absence of anger in her, she was not to be found._

 _The rest of our friends never failed to express the pride and amazement they felt in regards to my apparent feat, greatly increasing the confidence I so horribly lacked._

 _However, despite the beauty of hearing compliments and praise that had never before been bestowed upon me, there was one mouth that had yet to utter enough words to satisfy my craving for progression._

In the cycles that followed the grandiose ' _battle_ ' between my counterpart and I, most of my time was spent in the arena, and outside of such, stowed away in my chambers.  
 _My loneliness and confusion built during such a period, but showing it would surely do no good..._

Today in particular, visions slid in between the everlasting gaps that lay between my reality and subliminal mind, offering surprisingly calm pathways of which I may find myself to follow. Such sights never became intoxicating nor incapacitating, luckily...

 _If they had, I probably wouldn't have heard the familiar yet faint clicking of boots in the hallway._

My head turned abruptly from it's downward gaze as the heavy, crystalline door began to open...

Quickly I straightened my gown and shifted onto the edge of the day-bed.

"Oh! H-Hey!" Ruby beamed awkwardly, standing on the tips of her small boots to reach for the door's handle.  
"Hello." I answered back

She continued to heave the door closed, such a feat being difficult for the gem no shorter than myself.  
 _But, she can't float, so, we remain an uneven match, even still..._

She turned, wiping a drop of sweat from her forehead and tightening the band that wrapped around her boxy hair.  
"I know you usually see me in, but, you know, I thought I might surprise you today." the gem smiled weakly.

"Oh, yes...It's nice to see you." I murmured in response, turning my head as Ruby walked across the room to the windowsill

"Likewise."

As a pause fell in between the break of our conversation, the room filling with a low hum of white noise and outside clatter.

"I'm sorry." she said abruptly, staring out the window, her small knees tucked tightly to her chest to support her bowed head.

"Don't be."

Her gaze shifted to me, confused and saddened.

"What do you mean, ' _Don't be'?_ I've been such a...dink...!"

 _Even with all the self control in the world, I couldn't suppress my laughter..._

"Hey! Why are you laughing!?" She cried, hands slapping against the metallic floor as her cheeks burned "I'm tryin' to apologize here!"

"No, no, it's not you, it's just..." my laughter began to fade "I've never heard such a name before, that's all" I smiled, shifting from the bed's middle ground to the side in Ruby's direction.

"Man, you _really_ don't get out much..." She smirked, pulling her knees back to her abdomen  
"Anyway, I just...I shouldn't have acted the way I did...you know?"

"Ruby..."

"No, really. I shouldn't have assumed...I-I just..."  
She sighed, hugging her limbs closer. "I hope you don't think less of me for it all..."

"I don't." I quickly appeared before her, the cowering gem quickly turning and looking up at me, shocked.

"Hey! Quit it with the whole, ' _Fast thing_!'" She laughed, throwing herself onto a palm in surprise and laughter

I seated myself in the opposite corner to hers, the elemental's wide eyes following my every movement, fully aware of my capabilities, and of my grin.

 _The last time we sat like this..._

 _No._

My head lifted silently, the aqua bangs that sat upon my forehead shifting from position unintentionally, Ruby's visage stiffening in response.

"I never thought any less of you. I found myself feeling shameful of the royal title after tell of your previous encounters."  
Our silent stare broke as my gaze shifted to the stars that floated just beyond our grasp.  
"I don't blame you for the bias either; quite frankly, Royals fit your description, more often than not."

"But..." she too looked beyond the glass "You aren't like that."

"I suppose not" I chuckled, glancing into the shimmering gem in my palm

I couldn't help but stare at Ruby after a second's pause...  
The light emitting from the glinting and distant stars created a glaze upon her figure, a twinkle throwing itself into the dark hue of her irises, complementing her enlightened and content face, a beam of bright pink compared to the shaded body below her.

The room was thrown into an illuminated darkness, the chandelier casting it further into the abyss of my chambers; the blue tinted walls becoming a mirror for the stars, each angle displaying a personal and unique galaxy.

In an instant, the indigo wall's stain began to falter, fading from the hue of my gem, to a dark crimson, and finally to a deep magenta; the cycle repeating graciously and gently, Ruby's eyes turning inwards to watch the gradient's dance.

 _It's done this before..._

The red gem's gaze slowly met mine after the both of us stood involuntarily to observe the dancing hues, a small grin pasting itself onto our cheeks.

The moment was, sadly, yet expectedly, interrupted by a bang.

" _Hey!"_ A voice bellowed from beyond the exit door " _I_ _t's training time you two; l_ _et's go!"_

 _"And try not to freeze the arena this time!"_ a squeaky gem added.

 _Amber, you really have the worst timing..._


End file.
